Inside
by inuchick22
Summary: In secret they meet to profess their love for each other. In public they sneak glances at each other and pray for a time soon to be together again. LZ
1. Secret Love

Chapter 1

The silence was deafening. It was one of the sounds that she loathed. One of the sounds that made her want to scream just so that it wouldn't be so quiet. When things were this silent it usually meant that something was wrong. And she didn't want anything _else_ to be wrong. Right now her life was already falling apart but no…she had duties to attend to.

With a graceful back flip she landed noiselessly on her feet and onto the roof that was beneath her. It would have been impossible to see her because of two factors. The first being that it was pitch black and the second, that she had trained her feet to move with barely a sound to alert her presence.

From the roof she spied the band of thieves entering Kakariko Village. They all appeared to be men, all with knives and swords at their waists. There were six of them and one of her. Well, two if you counted her partner in crime that hid on the other side of the village.

She felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins, forcing her to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Everytime she faced a foe she would have this same reaction before battle and she _loved _it. It was riveting.

Before she went insane from crouching there on the roof, she inserted her thumb and index finger into her mouth, letting out an ear piercing whistle. This caught the attention of the thieves right away and they all looked up to see her as she stood to her full height atop the roof.

She wore her dark blue clothing, clinging tightly to her body like a second skin. A silvery white cloth was draped over the front of her chest with a red eye sewn into the fabric. She had used to wear a cowl and a head wrap to hide her identity but found no use for that anymore. Instead she simply pulled her golden hair back into a bun with short pieces falling out and into her green-blue eyes.

She moved her palms out to face them and closed her eyes, chanting under her breath. She could feel the energy pooling into her hands as the power gathered. As her hands grew hot and the effort sapped a bit of her energy, she kept her feet firmly planted on the tiles. A small trace of blood dripped from her nose but she had gotten used to that. Just a side affect. Then when the spell was complete she released the waves of magic, colliding with all six men who had begun towards the house she was on top of.

"Now!" She cried to her ally, leaping off of the roof. Her magic had succeeded in stunning them. It was one of her spells that didn't take much effort; she was forbidden to use those unless it was an emergency.

She wielded her sword, immediately surprising one of the thieves by taking off his right arm. He howled in response, falling to the ground as his bloody stumped waved wildly. She simply stepped over him and ascended onto another of them, their blades meeting with a clang. She grinned impishly, glad that the silence had dissolved into nothing.

Her friend had also come out of hiding and was fighting as well. He rolled underneath one of the men and thrusted his sword into his back, twisting it to keep the wound from closing. Ruby red blood spilled out onto the ground, pooling around the thief's knees as he fell to them. He kneeled in the puddle of his own body fluid, gasping for air as the sword retracted from the middle of his back.

"Link," she called to him as the hilt of her sword met a thief's temple, "we make quite a team don't we?"

"That we do Zel!" He pulled an arrow from his quiver upon seeing the last of them trying to escape. With a quick motion he released it and it pierced the coward's back. He fell forward and didn't get back up.

Link sheathed his sword after cleaning the blood off of it, turning to see Zelda doing the same. He eyed her thin frame, drinking it all in. The muscles in her legs and the way the white clothe fell against her breasts. She had already pulled her long hair from its bun and was shaking it out, her fingers running through it.

"Like what you see?" She asked with a smirk as she opened her eyes. She had felt his eyes appraising her even though she had had hers closed. It flattered her when he would stare at her that way. It gave her the chills and goose bumps rose on her skin.

"You know I do." He started for her, his arms already moving out to slip around her waist. He jerked her forward towards him and earned a surprised gasp. He looked down at her with a lustful, yet loving, look in his blue eyes.

She tilted her head back to look up into his eyes. She liked that he was taller than her, a many good inches, because it made him all the more appealing to her. She loved his constant green tunic and matching hat. She loved his messy blonde locks and the way they fell into his face. She loved that the muscles in his chest and abdomen stuck out from underneath his clothes. Everything about him from his boots to the tip of his head was wonderful and perfect in her eyes.

"What else do you like about me?" She asked quietly, batting her eyelashes purposefully at him. She parted her lips and touched her tongue to the corner of her mouth, hoping that he would get the hint. Luckily for her he did.

He engulfed her lips with his own, his arms still locked around her. She moved her fingers into his hair, carelessly throwing off his hat while her other hand cupped his cheek. The same surge of electricity passed through the couple. Their lips tingled even after their kiss sadly ended.

"That, I think, is my most favorite." He admitted throatily.

"Mine too." She agreed with a nod. She tucked a lock of hair behind his pointed ear and caressed away a patch of dirt beside his eye. He smiled down at her as she did so.

"We should get you back to the castle. Your father and…_Erik_…will be worried about you." When he said the suitor's name he growled. He was always insanely jealous whenever another suitor came to see her.

"Don't worry. Erik will be gone in a few days." She cooed, running her nails gently up and down beside his ear. She knew how hard it was for him to see her spending time with another man. The last time he had nearly revealed their secret love when one prince tried to kiss her. Link broke a chair in the castle that day though he regretted not breaking it over the prince's head.

He nodded and took Zelda's hand in his, leading her to where Epona was tied up down the steps leading up to Kakariko Village. She whinnied impatiently while he untied the reigns from the sign and helped Zelda onto the saddle. He then mounted behind her, circling her waist with one arm while guiding Epona with the other.

The horse led them over the bridge and across the field to the castle. Zelda was tired and so she leaned back against her love while her eyes grew weary from keeping open. She felt his arm tighten around her as if encouraging her to fall asleep. But she stayed awake anyways.

Epona rode through the market place and up towards the castle. She stopped when they reached the dirt wall that hid the couple from view. Link dismounted and took Zelda's hand, helping her down. They always said goodbye now for if anyone saw them together kissing and holding hands then the secret would be out.

"Don't go." He pleaded, moving a gloved hand to the back of her neck. He pulled it forward and rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes at the smoothness of her skin. He didn't want to think about Erik and what he would say to her or do to her tonight.

"Link," Zelda purred, trying to ease his mind, "everything will be okay. I'll say hello and goodnight and be done with it. Don't worry about me so much."

He chuckled humorlessly as he opened his eyes.

"I can't." He brushed his lips against hers before reluctantly pulling away. He watched her turn the corner and tried to keep from hitting something. Instead he set out to take Epona back to Lon Lon Ranch and getting back to the castle.

Zelda, on the other hand, gained entrance through the main gate and made her way through the field to the castle. She fingered her lower lip and smiled at the familiar tingling sensation his lips always left. How warm and sweet they were.

She opened the doors to the castle and sighed heavily, leaning back against them as she saw her father and Prince Erik just entering the foyer. She had hoped that they would still be discussing whatever they conversed about so that she could slip away upstairs unnoticed.

Many of the maids in the castle had been overheard calling the princess crazy for Erik was thought to be a very good looking man. His light brown hair was cropped and never out of place just like the rest of him. He often wore a short, blue cape on his back over his clothes, always expensive looking. But Zelda didn't think he was attractive at all. Inside or out.

"Ah, my dear, I assume that all went well tonight?" King Harkanian asked his daughter, going to her side. He enveloped her in a quick hug before pulling back to smile down at her. It was a miracle that he had allowed her, after learning her magic and how to fight, to help Link and the other Sages. But he had.

"Kakariko Village is safe now with those thieves out of the way." Zelda nodded and saw Erik approaching out of the corner of her eye. He had never been unkind to her but she felt that something was wrong with him. And the way he looked at her…

"I must say that although you have been at battle with a band of cutthroats," Erik kissed her knuckles, "you look lovely."

She nearly snorted. She saw his eyes drifting downward to stare at her chest and then at her legs. He was lusting after her just as the others did. Only Link saw her as something more than a piece of meat.

King Harkanian smiled at the two before he began for the stairs. She wanted to call out to him to not leave her alone with Erik but instead forced a small smile and returned her eyes to Erik's.

"Thank you. I am sure you understand that-"

"I was wondering if the princess would be up to taking a walk with me through the courtyard." He offered his arm and flashed what he probably thought was an award winning smile.

"Actually I am rather tired." She then set course for the stairs as well without stopping to see the heartbroken look she had left him with. Instead she spoke over her shoulder. "Perhaps another time."

With another sigh she continued up the stairs and didn't stop until she had reached her bedroom. She knew that Link still wouldn't arrive for quite some time and so she set about readying herself for him.

She went to her dresser and picked out one of her nightgowns, laying it out on her bed. She then tied her hair up while filling the basin with hot water that a maid had brought in for her. It looked very inviting, especially after it was filled with floral scented bubbles and steamed.

Her foot was first into the scalding water followed by her other foot. Slowly she lowered herself down and closed her eyes, leaning against the wall for support. The basin was a decent size but left little room for her to stretch out. But she didn't mind at all. She set about cleaning herself with a sponge, massaging her neck and chest.

It felt like hours that she had been soaking but she finally stepped out of the water and grabbed one of her towels. Wrapping it around herself, she then went to pick up the basin but a pair of gloved hands gripped the other side before she could. She looked up to see Link grinning at her.

"How long have you been here?" She asked, knowing full well that he had probably been staring at her from the window for most of the time she had been bathing.

"I could watch you forever." He declared, tucking a sweaty strand of hair behind her pointed ear before lifting up the basin and going to the window. He looked out and made sure that all was clear before dumping the water out. When it was gone he returned the basin to its rightful place.

Link returned to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist while taking one of her thighs and wrapping her leg around him. He kissed her neck and nibbled on her creamy skin, placing one kiss after another against it. He felt her arms moving around his shoulders and the grip she had on him told him that she was enjoying this.

"I declined another walk with the prince." She breathed as he began to move upward.

"Good. Had I seen him with you…" He didn't finish his sentence but merely crashed his lips into hers, slowly moving a hand up her thigh and slipping one finger inside of her. As she gasped he smirked, quickly moving another to join the other.

"Goddesses." She murmured in his ear. She held around his neck tighter as he removed his fingers and picked her up, carrying her to the bed that awaited them. He laid her out on it, ripping off the towel and letting it fall to the floor without a care.

He then watched her as she helped remove his tunic, looking up at him hungrily. He responded by kissing her again while she continued to undress him, pulling off his undershirt along with his tunic after he'd raised his arms. She broke the kiss to let her lips linger over his sculpted chest and abs, making him shiver and shudder under her touch.

"Zelda." He growled playfully as she tugged off his leggings. Once they were off he moved over top of her, making sure that her head was safely cradled by a pillow. He always made sure she was comfortable.

Somehow the sheets entangled themselves around the couple but they didn't care. He slid himself inside of her and they both moaned as he quickened his pace, always being gently and careful.

Eventually she rolled on top of him, bringing the sheets with her. She tangled her fingers in his blonde hair and lowered her face to his shoulder as she cried out in pleasure. This lasted for quite awhile before the couple was satisfied.

"Link." Zelda moaned softly one last time. He reveled in that. He never wanted her to experience that with anyone else. He never wanted her to say another man's name in that way. Neither did she.

He moved so that she laid between his legs, his arms wrapped tight around her waist with his hands folded over her flat, toned stomach. Her head rested up on his shoulder and he could smell her floral scented hair which had fallen out of its bun during their lovemaking.

"Zel I love you so much." He said it as if it were a secret. He kissed her temple tenderly before tightening his hold on her. He never wanted to let this woman go.

"I love you too Link." She replied, leaning her head back to smile at him.

"And one day, I'm going to shout it out so that everyone can hear. There will be no more secrets and no more hiding our affections." He promised her.

"I hope that day can be soon." She said sadly, letting her eyes close. He sensed that she was tired and only broke his hold on her to pull the blankets up to keep her warm. He then blew out the candle beside them and nestled closer to her.

"So do I. Until then I will still always love and protect you." He whispered in the darkness, drifting off to sleep as well.


	2. Another Suitor

Chapter 2

_Sheik is a guy but when Zelda is Sheik, I will use 'she' and 'her'._

She had been vaguely aware of lips brushing against her cheek just moments ago. She smiled at the sensation and rolled her shoulders happily, earning a quiet chuckle from her love. She could hear his almost inaudible footsteps as he crossed the room and went to the window. The hinges squeaked just slightly and then there was no more.

The princess sat up in bed, clutching the sheets around her naked body. The window was still open and she sighed seeing that she was alone. Scurrying to her feet she went to the window, tucking the sheet securely around her. If she looked hard enough she could see his figure moving through the field swiftly. She blew a kiss into the air but knew he hadn't seen it.

Once she could no longer see him she closed the window and went to her dresser to pick out her attire for the day. She rummaged through the drawers until she came upon one of her many dresses and let the sheet drop, replacing it with her underclothes and dress. She smoothed out any wrinkles and rolled up the sleeves a couple of times so they wouldn't get in her way.

She then set about brushing her long hair colored like golden rays from the sun. It flowed in waves down her body, falling to the small of her back. Instead of pulling it back like she had the night before she left it alone after the knots and static were gone.

Then she was finished readying herself for the day, dabbing a bit of perfume behind her ears and splashing some onto the base of her neck. She rubbed it in as she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Link usually returned to his small house in the market place after spending the night with her, sleeping for another hour or two before returning for his duties at the castle. In this time, Zelda usually ate a quick breakfast and went about getting down to business with her father or practicing her sword fighting in the courtyard. That morning she decided on the second.

She was about to open the door to the dining room when she heard raised voices already inside. By the sound of it, they were coming towards the door. Zelda scampered into the throne room just cattycorner to the dining hall and hid inside, cracking the doors open to listen.

"…just isn't working out! I have tried wooing your daughter and am unable to…to _melt_ her icy personality." That voice belonged to Erik. He sounded very upset.

"Zelda really is not an icy person…she just has trouble with all of the suitors." King Harkanian's voice came next.

"Well from my experience here I can say this with utmost confidence – it would be easier to marry Princess Luna of Thornbrook then it would be to marry Zelda. I leave at once."

Zelda was appalled. She had met Princess Luna once before and had never in her life encountered someone who could be so snobby. She had not spoken a word to any male at the ball they had been attending, only powdering her nose and looking at herself in a small piece of glass she carried with her. How could _Princess Luna_ be easier to marry?

She listened until both footsteps had faded before opening the doors and going straight for the doors that led out of the castle. Outside the sun was shining and the sky was clear and blue, a promise for a beautiful day. It seemed to take away from the harsh words spoken by Erik. Though Zelda didn't care of any of the suitors it still hurt to hear those kinds of things said about her. And she had heard them a lot.

She circled the castle and headed into the courtyard. There she transformed into Sheik, ready to practice all of her moves to vent her frustration and anger. She always fought as herself unless she needed to be in disguise but right now didn't feel like being herself. Anyone but her would have been perfect.

King Harkanian had never been very strict with her. He had allowed her to learn the ways of magic and to be trained by Impa. After Link reappeared at the age of fourteen, after going to find Navi, the king even allowed him to teach the princess how to defend herself and how to fight with weapons.

The only ones who knew about Link saving Hyrule from Ganondorf were the Sages and Zelda. Then, she and the Sages explained to the king what had happened and who exactly Link was. After this, the king had employed Link as Zelda's bodyguard and mentor as well as a soldier in the Hylian army.

The king had always liked Link but, as mentioned, though he was never strict with his daughter, there was one thing he demanded she do: marry a prince. It was part of tradition that royalty marry royalty and so on and so forth. It was also customary that the suitor be chosen before the eve of the eighteenth birthday. Sadly, Zelda's eighteenth birthday was growing rapidly closer and she had still turned down every suitor that had come her way.

Sheik used another Deku Nut to 'escape', making her agile way up into a tree. From there she back flipped off and landed on her feet, pulling her sword and swinging it in a complete circle. Only to be met with another blade. At the sound of the two blades meeting, Sheik looked up to see an unfamiliar face looming over her.

He wore a silver chest plate and a brown cloak around his neck, draping down his shoulders. His hair was colored a deep red and was longish in front but cut shorter in the back. His eyes were of a dark brown, almost the same color as his cloak. His facial expression appeared to be amused but there was something about the way he looked down at Sheik that made her antsy.

"Who are you?" Sheik growled, pushing the stranger off. She swung her blade threateningly and watched him fall on his behind, her blade know poking his throat.

"Zelda stop it!" King Harkanian cried, rushing into the courtyard. He shot a wave of magic at her sword and it flew from her hands. She turned to glare at him as he stopped beside the two.

"It seems I have frightened your daughter." The strange man said, his voice almost lulling. He grinned in a sly, cunning way before getting to his feet. He dusted himself off and eyed Sheik over.

"Zelda, this is Prince Garin of Alcott." King Harkanian explained, waiting for his daughter to pull away the shell. He was embarrassed about the possible future prince seeing her this way.

Sheik suddenly moved a hand out, refusing to let this newcomer prematurely end her practice. She grinned evilly and cocked her head to the side while Garin shook Sheik's hand. She 'accidentally' let a surge of power rush through and right into his hand. She saw him wince but kept the smile on his face.

"Zelda." She said as their hands parted.

"My name is Prince Garin but you may call me Garin." He told him, his voice still sounded oddly peculiar. It was as if he was trying to cast a spell on her. But it would never work, for not only did Link have Zelda's heart but magic could be fought with magic.

"Well _Garin_ it was nice to meet you but I have work to do so perhaps I'll see you later." Sheik then turned and moved away from her father and Garin, hearing her father apologize for his daughter's rude behavior and Garin promising that there was no harm done.

When the two men had left the courtyard, Sheik wasted no time in returning to Zelda's form. She hiked up her dress and, clutching the skirts in both fists, raced across the grass and made her way out and to the front of the castle. She sprinted across the field, ducking into the small space adjoining the gate. Inside she grabbed a hold of the ladder and climbed up, reaching the top only to drop down quickly onto the other side. The guards hadn't seen her. She smirked.

From there, she continued down the dirt path leading into the market place, thanking the Goddesses that she had taken the risk in wearing boots with her dress instead of heels. Her feet would have been in severe pain had she worn those death traps.

The market place was bustling with people as always, friendly faces smiling and gossiping while they grocery shopped or bargained. Little kids played with the stray dogs running about and amused themselves by running about and hiding from each other. Men and women mingled and married couples bickered openly. It was all so warm and comforting.

Spying a rack of shawls and headscarves, Zelda lowered her face from the merchant and paid for a shawl, turning away to quickly cover herself. She wrapped it around her shoulders but pulled it up over the back of her head as well. It draped down onto her forehead but kept her face visible.

She then pushed her way through the crowd and walked down the alley towards Link's house. There were many small houses down that alley and even more on the other side. There were a few people outside and they smiled politely as Zelda passed. Had they known who she was…

Link's house was the third from the last. The door was painted a forest green color and letters engraved in the stone proclaimed it to be his house. The window was covered by a thin curtain and she could peek in and see her hero working at a bench wearing an open chested shirt over his leggings. His blonde hair was messy and his cap was nowhere in sight. Sweat dripped from his forehead as he worked.

"So this is where the Hero of Time works." Zelda said, giggling when she saw him jolt at the sound of her voice. The look of surprise on his face disappeared as he saw her through the curtain. He smiled.

"What brings your lovely highness here?" He asked, rubbing his hands off on a rag. He then went to the door and opened it. He was about to say something particularly witty when she flung herself at him, kissing him deeply while her fingers dug into his crazy mane.

He didn't object. He moved a strong arm around her waist and pulled her away from the door, kicking it closed with his foot. When it slammed close, he moved his other hand to cup her cheek while still kissing her, walking backwards towards the bed. They sat down and broke apart for air every other second or so.

"What. Is. Wrong. Zel?" He asked between kisses.

"Erik. Is. Gone. But. Another. Came." She answered breathlessly. Her response was a snarl slash groan and Link pulled away. He held her face in his large, callused hands.

"Your birthday is growing near." He said softly, stroking beneath her sea green eyes.

"I know." She said sadly, trying to hang her head. But he wouldn't let her. He kept her eyes locked onto his and spoke again to try and soothe her.

"I'll find a way. I promise I will." He whispered.

"But how can you be sure?" She seemed about ready to explode from the frustration of keeping her love for him secret. From the prospect of having to marry another.

"A wise friend of mine, Wesley was his name, once said that something like true love doesn't happen everyday. It will all work out." Link reassured his other half, smiling when she did. He kissed her lips once more before rising.

"Let's go for a walk."

"That sounds refreshing." She stood up and watched as he pulled off his dirtied shirt, throwing it in a pile of other soiled clothes.

"I'll do your laundry for you tonight." She moved towards his work bench and spied a lump hidden underneath a white cloth. Intrigued, she went to remove it when Link's hand caught hers.

"Ah, ah, ah. No peeking." He grinned. She saw that he had put on his green tunic and his cap was tucked into his hair once more.

The couple left the house and walked into the market place, breaking apart sadly. Link moved through the crowd on one side of the fountain while Zelda walked along the other side. They cast short glances at each other every once in awhile. Though she wore a shawl, if she were recognized and anyone saw her with Link holding hands then the secret would be out.

She sighed and saw through the crowd a small family sitting underneath a tree. The husband was talking to his wife, who appeared to be with child, and the discussion seemed to be heated. Two small kids danced around their legs and a dog yapped at them. Suddenly the wife playfully swatted her husband and they laughed, sharing a chaste kiss.

Zelda smiled and pictured something else in her head. She could see her and Link like that one day. He would work at the bench or come home from a long debate at the castle, kissing her on the cheek and greeting their kids with a bear hug. They would live in the small house as one happy family.

She was suddenly brought from her daydream when she felt a hand take hers. She looked to her side to see Link smiling down at her. The look on her face must have given her surprised and worry away.

"I don't care." He mouthed to her. This silenced her fear and they kissed at the end of the fountain, him gently tugging at the shawl as if taking it off to tease her. She squealed and ran, only to be caught around the waist before she could get away.


	3. The Hike

Chapter 3

_Anyone catch the joke? The Princess Bride?_

Link still had a hold on Zelda's hand as they trudged up Death Mountain together. He led the way up the rocky path and pointed out any trenches along the way. They had decided that a walk up the mountain would allow enough time for her father to cool off considerably and it would give them a long while to be together before another day of pretending.

"What's he like?" He asked suddenly, stepping over a decent sized rock. He looked over his shoulder and saw the confused look on her face. "That new suitor."

The look of recognition was short lived and followed by a look of disgust and hate. She rolled her eyes and snorted as she too stepped over the rock and followed after Link. She now was even more thankful that she had not worn heels.

"He's real smug. I can tell he's going to be one of the ones who thinks every woman on earth is head over heels for him. Well not me." She muttered that last part to herself but Link still heard it. He grinned and turned his head completely around to look at her. She caught the wide smile.

"What?"

"You're amazing." He answered simply. This brought a smile to her face as well and the two paused a moment on the slope to kiss. He spun her around in a circle and could now see up the hill. Boy was he glad he had done that for at the moment he spotted a Goron rolling at a high speed towards them.

"Watch out!" He shouted, whirling Zelda in a complete circle before slamming her up against the mountainside, his hands pressing against the rock on either side of her head while he brought a knee up to rest beside her hip.

The oblivious Goron whizzed past them and Link pulled back to watch him disappear down the trail before turning back to Zelda. He looked at her apologetically and rubbed the back of her hand with his hand.

"What a carefree race. I didn't hurt you did I?" She laughed lightly at his first comment while shaking her head to answer his question.

The two continued their hike and soon reached the next level with a much narrower path. Link maneuvered Zelda in front of him, keeping his hands resting gently on her hips to guide her along the route while they continued their conversation.

"He saw me as Sheik. Didn't seem revolted or anything." She still couldn't believe that Garin hadn't screamed something about never marrying a cross dresser and hitting the road so fast that it hit back. Instead he had continued to stare as if he knew what she looked like naked. It made her feel uneasy.

"I think it's kinda sexy Zel." Link said amusedly, kissing the top of her head tenderly.

"Link!" She scolded, turning her head to the side with a fake look of shock on her pretty features. He laughed and buried his face into her neck, inhaling the perfume she had rubbed into her skin earlier.

"But you as yourself is even sexier." He murmured huskily against her skin. He felt the shivers roll through her and pulled back to nip at her ear. She nearly turned all the way around to have her way with him but knew it was impossibly narrow.

"I would hope so." She said in all seriousness.

"You're strong, outspoken, and funny, you're cute, and you have your own mind. You are the perfect girl Zel. How do you do it?"

"Well Link," she continued walking and face forward, sounding as if she were being interviewed, "I've had a great mentor."

"Ah I see – the brains behind the woman. What's he like? Level with me Princess."

"He's a very strong man you see, and incredibly good looking. I just can't stand it when he wears those _open chested shirts_. Why I would love it if he would just lay me out on that work bench…" She was only half kidding.

Link was quiet for a moment and he too was resisting the urge to find a place to make love to this beautifully sex-crazed angel of his. He finally restrained himself and answered, picking up on her hints.

"Noted my princess, I can set that up some time." He wasn't kidding at all.

She turned as they finally reached the top and grabbed a fistful of his tunic, tugging him down to her level. She bit his earlobe gently before whispering into his ear in a seductive tone.

"How about tonight?"

He gulped and tried to keep his insanity. Here he was, with the woman he loved on a fairly secluded mountaintop in the middle of the day. He was so crazy in love with her that every time he laid eyes on her his heart nearly exploded with the feeling. It was more than lust, so much more, but the tension between them was something strong as well.

"I don't know if I want you to risk it again. Remember what happened last time?" He held her at arms length, trying his hardest to ignore the way she looked up at him with those gorgeous eyes.

"It doesn't matter Link. It just doesn't matter. You said it yourself in the market place." She answered strenuously, sitting down on a boulder with a huff. She rested her chin on her fists and looked down at the rocky terrain with hate clear in her eyes.

"I love you more than I have ever loved another person or anything else. Why did I have to be born into royalty? Why couldn't I be a commoner? I envy them. I envy you."

"No Zelda no." Link sat down beside her and took her hands, holding them in his own.

"Listen to me. You are a wonderful ruler and Hyrule is blessed to have you as their Princess. You make life changing decision for them and help me and the Sages to keep the land safe. As for envying me…you don't. Do you know what it's like to see you with a suitor? Do you know how much restraint it takes to not pull out an arrow and send it flying through their chests? No Zelda, this is the perfect life for you." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"And I love you too. More than anything in the whole world. Which is why I am looking out for you like this. Which is why we keep this a secret. But soon I will find a way that we can be together."

Zelda stared intently up at him and felt the love he felt for her overflowing his heart and flooding over her. It made her chest ache but in such a good way. A smile broke out on her face and she threw her arms around him.

"Oh Link. I will wait forever. I would. You know I would." She whispered into his tunic as he held her close as well. He stroked back her long locks with his long fingers and nodded.

"I know Zel. And I you." He tilted her chin back and captured her lips with his own and tasted the sweetness and the sincerity that coursed through her entire being. She told him no lies. She really would wait for him for the rest of her days and if necessary hide their love until they both died.

But he wanted more for her. He wanted her to be able to have a big wedding with a breathtaking dress and a wealthy, loving groom who would take care of her and pick her up whenever she fell down. He wanted her to live in the castle and raise a family; her kids would be the loveliest in all the world. But Link knew in his heart that despite him being a commoner with little money, he could provide Zelda with the love she thirsted for and the support she needed. Goddesses he would die for this woman.

A low rumbling interrupted the silence and Link furrowed his brow, looking around for whatever had made the noise. He looked down and saw Zelda flushing a bright pink. He then knew what the noise had been.

"Hungry are you?" He asked with a laugh.

"I forgot to eat breakfast when…nothing." She was about to get up but he was curious now. He cupped her cheek with one hand while placing the other protectively on her thigh. Why he was getting protective at the moment he didn't know. Perhaps it was the tone in her voice, leading him to think that someone had upset her.

"What? What happened?" He questioned.

"Nothing. It's stupid." She muttered under her breath. He raised an eyebrow.

"If it's so stupid then why not tell me?" She sighed in response.

"Prince Erik said I had an 'icy personality' and then said something about it being easier to marry Princess Luna than me." She was surprised when Link broke out in a fit of laughter, a tear rolling from his eye. Zelda hit him in the arm like the wife had done in the market place.

"It isn't funny." She tried to sound hurt and got up, starting for the way down. His arms trapped her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Sorry Zel but _you_ an icy personality? Shows how much he knows. You've helped the homeless in Hyrule and kept everyone safe for years. You make friends with commoners and stole one of their hearts. Icy is the opposite of what you are." He nuzzled up to her neck.

"And Princess Luna isn't easier to marry. Trust me, I know."

"Oh really? How was the sex?" Zelda asked, raising an eyebrow of her own. She and Link both had matching grins and he lifted his head from her shoulder.

"Terrible. She couldn't stop looking at herself." They both laughed aloud, leaning forward to lean on each other's foreheads. When the laughter ended they both stood in the same position, both of them wrapping their arms around the other's neck.

"What will I do with you?" She asked quietly. He smiled crookedly, one of Zelda's turn ons. She eyed it with longing eyes.

"Make a man out of me. I'm still a boy at heart." He proclaimed innocently, trying to look as childish as possible. It worked out in his favor and Zelda stepped back to ruffle his hair like a mother would her kid.

"Aww. How sad. Well why don't you go and see Princess Luna about that." She walked away from him and started down the narrow path back down. She turned only once.

"Or rather, why not see Ruto? She's still single…" Link visibly paled at the princess's playful words and he remembered the fishy princess trying to marry him. He frowned, pointing a threatening finger at her.

"Oh you're gonna get it Princess." He promised icily, taking a half step forward. She turned and darted down the dirt path, dust and debris flying up after her. Link chased after her and the two ran all the way down Death Mountain, reaching Kakariko Village sweaty and ready for some food.

They were careful to put distance between themselves while passing through the village, making sure that they didn't touch once. Link mostly walked behind Zelda with his hands folded behind his back as if he were a wise teacher or something. Zelda tried to keep from laughing and he noticed.

"Alright missy," he yanked on her ear as they began down the steps, "you can laugh all you want at me but the mentor will punish you."

"What kind of punishment?" She asked curiously.

"One that requires a private room, candlelight, an open chested shirt," he bent down to her ear and whispered the last part, "and shackles."

"Eww! Link! That's so gross!" She shrieked after him as he jogged over the bridge. She followed after him and they slowly made their way back to the market place, keeping a safe distance once more, and finally reaching the castle.

"I have to go and change. My father is already mad about earlier and so I'd better freshen up this time." Zelda told Link in a hushed tone. She stood on the first stair leading up to the next level in the foyer. Link stood on the other side of the railing, holding onto one of her hands.

"Alright. But I want you to know that you look stunning just like this." She leaned down after he'd finished his compliment and they kissed quickly before the doors to the throne room opened. They pulled back and Link reluctantly let go of her small hand.

"Ah, Princess, I was wondering when I would see you as yourself." Garin strolled towards the two and either didn't notice Link's ferocious expression for interrupting the moment or ignored it. His eyes sparkled oddly as he looked at her.

"Yes well I'll be going to change. Have you met my mentor? Link?" She nodded towards the fuming young man, trying his hardest not to unsheathe his sword and cut this guy to pieces.

"Link. Well it is nice to meet you." Garin then turned his attention back to Zelda.

"When you have changed would you care to take a walk with me?"

"I'm sorry but Link and I were going to have our breakfast. Maybe another time." She started up the stairs when Garin spoke again.

"I know what that means. It means that you'll just keep telling me that until I go away. Well I think that you are too beautiful a woman and too intelligent to let go." He nodded to the both of them before leaving just as quickly as he had come.

"The nerve of that…" Link produced swear words that Zelda had never even heard of. She nearly returned to his side to calm him but instead blew him a kiss and attempted to ease him.

"I will be down soon." She promised, continuing up the stairs.

Link watched her walk all the way up and didn't move even after she had disappeared from his view. He waited for her to return but cast one look at the castle doors where Garin had exited. Something about him was creepy…


	4. A Night Together

Chapter 4

_The song incorporated in this chapter is called Inside by Vertical Horizon._

_We're all lost,  
we're all found,  
we're all the same,  
just one heart,  
beats in us,  
we're different names,  
just one heart,  
oh different names. _

Oh me, inside you,  
cause I wanna be,  
inside you,  
inside you.

Take this hand,  
lift me up,  
into your sky,  
oh, hold me here,  
it's just you and me,  
cause you make me fly,  
oh you make me fly.

Oh me, inside you,  
cause I wanna be,  
inside you,  
inside you.

we're all lost,  
we're all found,  
we're all the same...

Oh me, inside you,  
cause I wanna be,  
inside you,  
inside you,  
hold me, inside you,  
cause I wanna be,  
inside you.

Zelda descended the stairs as she was tying her hair back into a low ponytail, short strands in her many layers of hair framing her fair face. She had overheard her father telling Link about the catastrophe with the two princes and sending the boy to eat. She wasn't in the mood to be yelled at and scolded so she was going to sneak into the dining hall and suggest that she and Link go to Lon Lon Ranch or something.

She moved across the floor towards the door and nearly reached it when a familiar voice rang out from behind her and she paused mid step, cursing under her breath.

"Zelda Harkanian what on earth were you thinking?" Her father's voice echoed off of the high ceiling and caused her to flinch. She turned around slowly and saw him standing a few feet away with his arms folded over his chest.

"If I am so bold," she said through her teeth, "is it not _my_ decision as to who I marry?" Had he been very angry then Zelda would have simply kept her mouth shut.

"It is but do you know what will happen if on your eighteenth birthday you still have not chosen? Then the decision will be mine to make." He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I want you to be happy." She narrowed her eyes at his words.

"Happy? Then take my tiara and let me marry for love." She shook her father's hands off and strode into the dining hall before he could continue the banter. She didn't feel like arguing with him that afternoon.

Link was inside, fiddling with an arrow. He was gently pricking his finger with the arrowhead while whistling the Song of Time off tune. Had he been playing on an ocarina it would have been beautiful.

Zelda plastered an imposter smile onto her face and hummed along with his whistling though he stopped immediately after hearing her. He seemed to be wearing a face that asked how it went. She sat down beside him and covered his hand with hers.

"Why haven't you eaten?" She asked warmly, eyeing his untouched plate. Everything he had been brought looked very appetizing. Steam rose from the pile of fluffy eggs and from the decent portion of steak. A small heap of potatoes was smack dab in the center of both.

"I was waiting for you." Then he asked the question his face had been asking. "How did it go with your father?"

Before she could give an answer, the kitchen doors swung open and Zelda jumped, ripping her hand from Link's. He looked at her sideways and chuckled at her reaction. From underneath the table she kicked his leg. He grimaced, picking up his fork and stabbing his steak in retaliation.

"Here's a plate for you Princess." The maid said, setting another plate in front of her.

"Thank you." She watched until the older woman left before turning her attention to Link, who was full on laughing at her now.

"You should have seen your face. You were all like…" He made a melodramatically done face with bulging eyes and an open mouth. The pose didn't last long before he continued to laugh.

"I doubt I looked that hideous." She retorted, picking at her eggs. She caught Link's hurt face and smiled smugly. He reached out and speared her steak, dragging the meat back over to his own plate. The juices dripped onto the tablecloth.

"Hey!" She snapped, stabbing it with her own fork. Both of them struggled to keep it, tearing the steak down the middle. She took her small chunk and put it back on her plate while he looked triumphant.

"Ha! I have won." He smiled like a little boy before chewing at one end of the other half of Zelda's steak. She raised an eyebrow and moved her hand over, snatching up the mess of potatoes in her fist. His eyes widened and he set down his fork, eyeing her warily.

"You…you wouldn't."

"Oh wouldn't I?" She asked daringly, making him flinch when she pretended to launch the fistful at him. She giggled and got to her feet while he got to his, holding his hands out to protect himself.

"Alright I give." He said glumly, hanging his head. She nodded in satisfaction – until he grabbed her around the waist with both arms and dipped her backwards above the table. She gasped in surprise before smacking her potato filled hand into the side of his neck with a squish.

"Oh for the love of the Goddesses." He rolled his eyes but was smiling. He kissed her forehead while still dangling her effortlessly as if the two were dancing.

"Come here." She whispered, motioning with her finger. He did as he was told and she leaned up a little to kiss his neck, tasting what was left of the mess after she had brushed the potatoes from his skin. She licked her lips.

"Mmm. Potato-y." She moved her arms around his neck and he leaned in with half lidded eyes, about to kiss her when the sound of another door opening caused the couple to break apart. Unfortunately, Link accidentally dropped Zelda and she fell back onto the table.

"Zelda! Oh I'm so sorry!" Link quickly fixed his mistake and stood her upright, brushing off her dress with his gloved hands before asking if she was alright in a whisper while he picked a piece of egg from her hair.

"I'm fine." She assured him, rubbing his neck off brusquely. She then turned to see Garin entering, watching the two with a raised eyebrow.

"Did I come at a bad time?" His secretive eyes passed from Link to Zelda suspiciously.

"Uh…no! It was just well, I was being clumsy and tripped over Link and he was just helping me to clean the mess I made." She answered hastily, trying to look inconspicuous. She elbowed Link in the ribs and he nodded.

"Yes that's it." He agreed.

"Well why don't you let the maids take care of that. I decided to try and persuade you once more to take a walk with me." Garin flashed the two of them a white smile. From the looks of it he was trying to dazzle Zelda. Link looked at her anxiously but saw that she hadn't been swayed.

This guy seemed a bit off to Link. He didn't want him to be alone with Zelda at all, more so than any of the other suitors. It was as if he were trying to cast a spell.

"Well I'm sorry but Link and I were actually going to Lon Lon Ranch to ride for a bit. He takes me there almost every afternoon to practice." She knew without asking him that Link would be perfectly fine with these plans.

"Sounds wonderful. I'll go and change into my riding clothes." Garin turned to leave and Link caught Zelda's horrified expression.

"Wait a moment." Link took a step forward and Garin turned back to them.

"I actually planned putting off the riding until another day. I have much work to accomplish at my home and," he turned and tried to sound angry, "I asked you to complete that assignment a week ago."

She looked stupidly at him for a moment before he seemed to stress his eyes. She understood immediately. He was trying to get Garin to keep away from her. She wanted to kiss him for being so smart but instead looked ashamed and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry. I'll get that finished as soon as possible." She hung her head and sounded as somber as possible.

"Perhaps we will ride tomorrow then? Do you need my help for this…_assignment_?" Garin asked as the princess lifted her head.

"No I think I can manage. I will go and work on it immediately." She then left quickly, waiting by the stairs for Link to follow. She waited beside the door and once it opened she reached out and pulled him against her.

"Please let me see you tonight." She said in a shaky whisper.

"Zel-"

"Please Link. You know how I get when we're apart for even a few hours." She was practically begging like a dog now. Her eyes were big and sad, ready to shed a tear to make Link allow her to come.

"Alright." He said after awhile, leaning in closer towards her. He spoke in a hushed tone.

"I will be waiting for you in the market place after sunset. Be safe." He kissed her forehead once, cupping her cheek as he did so. He let the pressure of his lips last a few moments before brushing his nose against hers and pulling back.

"Until tonight." She murmured as she watched him leave. She then moved from her place in the shadows only to be scared to death when a hand grasped her shoulder rather roughly. She turned to see Garin standing behind her.

"G-Garin? You startled me." She half smiled just to lighten the sudden tension in the air. It was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife.

"I apologize Princess." He moved a bit closer for her liking and reached a hand out towards her face. She shrank back a bit with a look of confusion marred by insecurity and question.

"What are you doing?" She didn't hide the worry from her tone. He chuckled, almost darkly, before moving his fingers around a piece of hair and pulling loose a bit of food. He let it fall to the floor.

"Missed a spot." He simply said before letting go of her shoulder. He didn't even look back once as he walked away, heading out the castle doors the way Link had gone. She felt frozen to her place for many minutes before regaining herself.

She went to her room and made herself busy by collecting her things for that night. She gathered up the shawl she had purchased and folded her hairbrush and the bottle of perfume up inside of it. She then took a new dress from her dresser and balled it up, shoving the articles into a basket from underneath her bed.

With the basket in hand she made her way back down the stairs and headed for the kitchens. If she could be quick enough she could snag a bottle of wine and tuck it into her basket for that night. She was delighted to find that the kitchens were empty and selected a bottle. Just as she was looking over the label, she heard footsteps and threw it into the basket, kicking it beneath one of the counters before the doors opened.

She sighed of relief when she saw it was only a maid.

"Princess? What are you doing back here?" She asked with a joyful smile, walking along the other side of the counter.

"I was just…uh looking over the wine selection. Tonight seemed like a fine night for a glass with dinner but I've changed my mind." She could feel her cheeks heating up and began to babble.

"But that's all I was up to. I'm terribly sorry about the mess Link and I left. We were careless and I apologize. I know how hard it is to keep the castle clean and-"

"It's my job your Highness." She assured the stuttering woman. From the twinkle in her eyes, Zelda suspected that this maid knew something. But instead of interrogating her she simply nodded.

"Well I'll just be on my way." Zelda picked up her basket and quickly fled before the maid could question her as to what was inside of her basket. She didn't need that maid knowing anything else.

She circled the castle to beneath her window, hiding the basket in a huddle of bushes for that night. Once it was tucked inside safely she stepped back and with a sigh wished for the sun to set faster so that she could be united with her love.

* * *

Garin proved to be just as strange at dinner as he seemed every other time. His eyes never stopped glistening with that secret, that charm that he seemed to possess. And what was most bothersome was that it appeared to be that he _knew_ he dazzled people. It made him smug and snotty. Zelda considered introducing him to Princess Luna.

After dinner she excused herself and went to her room to clean herself up a bit before it was time to go. The sun was slowly setting and soon she would be with her hero. That made her even more excited and jittery. She flittered around the room in a dither not knowing what to do first. Should she brush her hair? Should she put it up? Was her dress pretty enough?

She sat down on the edge of her bed and demanded that she calm herself down immediately. She refused to go and see Link breathing as heavily as she was and flushed bright red. But she just felt so happy about their little meetings. He made her feel so special and important. Not just because she was a princess…but because she was the woman he loved.

Zelda smoothed out her dress and ran her fingers through her long hair once before taking a deep breath and going to the window. Taking the bed sheets she kept in her closet, tied tightly together like a rope, she lowered it out the window and began the climb down.

She kept her feet pressed firmly against the castle wall and walked down it as she fisted the knotted sheets tightly in her hands. The end was tied to her bedpost and she was fairly confident that it would hold her weight. She had never had it rip before and had even had Link try it out once before. Nevertheless she was thankful when she reached the ground.

She left the makeshift rope hanging and dug out her basket, pausing only a moment to watch the guards at their posts. If it hadn't been for the fact that her father had taken the Ocarina of Time to guard, she could have used it to warp to the Temple of Time. Instead she had to sneak out.

When the guard closest to her had moved away she darted for the next safe spot with her dress hiked up to keep her from tripping. She reached another huddle of bushes and ducked behind them to wait for the next few guards to go to another post. During this time she caught her breath and kept an eye out for any other guards coming their way.

From that spot she reached the station and opened the door, closing it quietly behind her. With the basket handle between her teeth she climbed the ladder up to the top where the sky was beginning to darken. She reached the top and nearly collapsed onto the other side of the gate. She landed on one foot and one knee, the basket falling to the ground.

While she regained her breath she made sure that everything was intact before wrapping the shawl around her shoulders and pulling it up over the back of her head like she had done before.

The market place was empty. Everyone had gone to their houses to rest for the day. There were no more couples, no more kids, and no more merchants trying to sell anything. There were only stray dogs that leapt about like frogs, yapping and yipping happily.

"Are you lost Miss?" A familiar voice asked from behind her. Zelda smiled at the sound of the deep, slightly husky, male voice. She slowly turned to see him but kept the look of happiness off her face.

"Just looking for someone." She said, looking past him. He nodded and held his chin in one hand.

"Hmm. And who might this be? Do I know this person?"

"I don't know. He's about," she placed a hand on the top of his head, "this tall. And he almost always wears the color green. Blonde hair. Ring a bell?"

He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Is he handsome?" At his words she made a disgusted face and stuck out her tongue.

"No! He's revolting and gross. _Very_ ugly."

"I see." He raised his eyebrows and nodded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He then turned and began walking away from her.

"No, don't think I can help you."

"He has eyes like Lake Hylia." She called quietly after him. This caught his attention. He turned around and cocked his head.

"Interesting. Please continue." She slowly walked towards him and covered his chest with one hand, feeling his muscles.

"Great body. Must be from saving the world all the time. He certainly saved mine." He lifted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes, sparkling in the moonlight.

"Did he? Well I wouldn't see why he wouldn't. What man wouldn't want to save a beautiful woman like you?" He took the basket from her without looking away and kissed her as he took one of her hands into his.

"Oh Link." Her head fell against his chest and she inhaled the scent of his tunic. He rested his cheek against her soft hair and inhaled its scent.

"Let's get out of here." He whispered after awhile, tugging on her hand. He lead her back to his house.

Zelda walked over to the work bench and saw that the sheet covering Link's secret had been hidden. But there were many tools covering the surface.

"Make yourself," Link turned and could barely find his voice when he saw Zelda shove everything off of the bench and lean with her back against it, back arched, "at home."

He flew to her, mouth on hers and hands pushing her further onto the bench. He then pulled down the straps of her dress to expose her shoulders while his lips still kissed hers, gently slipping the dress down further. She moved one leg around his backside, pulling him even closer to her body.

He cupped her neck and moved his mouth downward, kissing her heated neck and collar bone while still moving down. He gnawed with his teeth at the drawstring in the middle of her breasts which were distracting him from the task at hand for they were rising and falling quite rapidly.

Eventually he had the dress down around her ankles and marveled at her for a moment. A sly smile crossed his face as he looked up at the innocent look on her face.

"What?"

"No underclothes?" He raised an eyebrow but wasn't complaining. She merely nodded and they both began to kiss each other again.

Zelda's hands did some work though too. As Link picked her up around the waist and moved her towards his small bed, she began to take off his clothes as well. He helped her as he sat her down while she still worked feverishly.

When he was naked as well they both rolled underneath the blankets, him on top of her. He rested gently over her, not even bothering with anymore foreplay as she begged him to come inside of her. They both needed each other desperately.

"Link." She moaned loudly, nails running across the skin of his back in a way that drove him completely mad. He thrusted inside of her at a fast pace and they were both panting, crying out and screaming each other's name.

Later they both were content and tired lying together. He had his head positioned between her breasts while both his arms were wrapped securely around her middle. One of her hands cupped his cheek while the other worked through his messy, after sex locks.

"Your heart is beating a mile a minute." He grinned up at her, his ear pressed tenderly against her breast bone.

"It always does when you're around." She admitted quietly, continuing to run her fingers through his hair.

He suddenly moved up closer, pulling her head into his neck. He moved one arm from around her waist to hold her head in place, moving back and forth across her hair. She moved her arms around him too.

"I'm glad you came tonight Zel." He said lovingly as he placed kiss after kiss upon her sweaty forehead.

"I am too." She nuzzled into his neck further and fell asleep there.


	5. Complications

Chapter 5

The walk from the castle to Lon Lon Ranch, as Zelda thought, would be awkward. She had started out walking ahead of the two men accompanying her, thinking of ways to ditch the prince who had tagged along. But, speak of the devil; he had quickened his pace to walk alongside her. Link stayed behind the couple with a look of pure hatred on his face. His teeth nearly ground down to the gums.

She decided to ignore him still and reflected on the wonderful night she had spent with the man currently walking behind her. A brief smile flashed across her face in remembrance of it but she quickly made it disappear before Garin could ask her what had brought it about.

That morning she had been awakened by Link gently nudging her awake, telling her that the sun had risen and they should get up and get dressed. He had made no move to get up and so neither had she. They had instead made love again before having a glass of wine each to the excuse that they would need it for an afternoon with the prince. They drank to life long happiness and to each other, breaking the rules and switching back and forth to finish off the bottle.

From what she could tell Garin had won over her father. The two had been laughing and joking as she reentered the castle that morning with Link casually showing up not long after. The two tried to act platonic but he had ended up taking hold of her hand behind their backs. This brought smiles to both their faces and King Harkanian had asked them why they were in such good moods.

It was nearing noon and the three were nearly to Lon Lon Ranch. The day was just as beautiful as it had been the day before, sure signs of a lovely summer. And Zelda would be eighteen soon.

"Garin," she said suddenly as she remembered that little detail, "how old are you?"

"I reached nineteen last month Princess." He said proudly, holding his head high.

"Splendid." She said through her teeth, marching forward as they came to their destination. She reached the inside of the rock walls first and was surprised when she didn't see Malon, Talon, or Ingo anywhere. The redhead was usually up and around by now.

She went to inspect this further and found a note scrawled in Malon's handwriting tacked to the door leading into the stables.

_Hey Link and Zelda! My dad and I went to Termina this morning to check up on the relatives (Cremia and Romani) and won't be back until tomorrow sometime. Ingo was here in the morning but won't be back again until later. Feel free to ride without us. Have fun! Malon_

Zelda sighed heavily. She didn't have Malon to buffer her from Garin. Link could only go so far before things got suspicious. She also looked forward to spending time with her friend. They would ride together and talk about their relationships (Malon was the only other person besides the Sages who knew about Link and Zelda) and other girl stuff.

"Something wrong?" Garin asked from behind her.

"No. Not a thing." She turned and handed the note to Link who read it over and nodded, crumpling it up into a ball and smiling crookedly. She wondered why in the world he was smiling.

"Malon and her family have gone. They asked us not to ride the horses because Ingo will be by cleaning and working and she doesn't want us to bother him." He lied, shoving the trash into his tunic.

Zelda nearly laughed aloud. Instead she nodded in agreement.

"What a shame. Perhaps another day? In the meantime, why don't we return to the castle for lunch and find something else to entertain us?" Garin suggested. He wouldn't be brushed off so easily. With a grim nod, she followed after him.

* * *

The next two weeks passed and Garin continued to try and wiggle himself between Link and Zelda. He often went along with them to wherever they decided to go, only staying away when the two had work to do with any trouble (there had been a problem with Moblins in the Lost Forest and an odd tentacle in the Zora's Domain.) 

However that morning Zelda was pacing her room back and forth, her heart pounding so fast that it dizzied her and she fell unsteadily onto the bed. She tried desperately to calm herself down, taking deep breaths and thinking of a way to break the news to Link.

She placed her face in her hands and nearly screamed. In the back of her head all this time she knew something like this might happen but had been stupid enough to think it couldn't ever happen to her. Not like this.

Before she could throw herself out the window as she had been thinking about doing for the past hour or so, she ran to her desk and pulled out a piece of parchment with shaky hands. Dipping her quill into the ink she began her note to her love.

_My dearest Link I ask that you come to my room tonight. There is a possibility that I am with child. Your child. All the love in my heart, Zelda_

She couldn't bear to say those words to him herself. Writing it down was a lot easier to do at the moment. She quickly folded up the paper and sealed it closed with the Royal Seal before stuffing it into the pocket of her dress.

She did not stop running even when Garin asked where the hurry was as she passed him. She went to the gate and commanded the guard to open it after collecting her breath, rushing out before it was even fully open.

When she reached Lon Lon Ranch she was very tired and red faced but she didn't care. All that mattered was getting that message to Malon to give to Link when he came in like he usually did every afternoon.

Malon was singing as she helped Ingo tidy up the stables, pausing only to talk a little with the cows as they chomped away on the grass they were fed. When her big eyes fell upon Zelda she smiled and rushed to her friend.

"Why Princess Zelda don't you look tired?" The smile dripped off of her face when her friend did not return it. She knew then that something was wrong.

"What is it?"

"Malon I need you to give this to Link as soon as you see him." She roughly pulled the note from her pocket and placed it in her friend's outstretched hand, clamping it tightly into her palm and refusing to let go.

"This must be read by no other. Please promise me that." Zelda stared at Malon with pleading eyes.

"Of course Zelda." Malon whispered, putting the note into her own pocket. Zelda breathed a sigh of relief and allowed her friend to sit her in a chair to rest a moment.

All the while Zelda wondered how Link would react to the news. She prayed that he wouldn't be angry with her or that he would be ashamed. But in her heart she knew that was impossible. He would accept her and, if indeed she was with child, the baby.

When a half hour had passed Malon escorted Zelda back to the castle on horseback, assuring her that all would turn out no matter what happened.

* * *

The night was a bit cool. Breezes drifted in through the open window and whistled through the air. Zelda was standing with her back to the window awaiting her love to arrive so that they could discuss the situation at hand.

She had tied her long hair back in a ponytail and so it wasn't warming her shoulders or back against the chill. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to shield them from the wind but found that it didn't help in the slightest. Giving up she looked up from the floor and immediately saw the shadow of a man reflected on the wall. He had come.

"Link…" For a moment she didn't have the courage to turn around and face him. She feared what his face would look like. She feared what he would say. But after remembering what Malon had said she slowly turned to face him.

Surprisingly his eyes were not on hers – but looking intently at her stomach. Wrinkles creased her eyebrows as she wondered what he was thinking. She was about to ask him when a smile spread across his face.

"Our baby is in there Zel." He said in an awestruck voice. After he said this his eyes flickered up to meet hers and she saw nothing but love and happiness shining in his blue eyes. He wasn't angry. He was happy.

"Well," her voice sounded shaky and she realized that she hadn't breathed since he had come, "I'm not positive yet."

He surprised her by suddenly moving forward and separating the few feet between them. He held her face in his hands and placed kiss after kiss on her forehead, speaking after each one.

"I'm so sorry. That I wasn't here sooner. I can't imagine. How you've felt all. Alone today." He then pulled back to look into her eyes, caressing beneath them with the pads of his thumbs.

"Link, I'm scared." She admitted to him, placing her hands on his chest.

"If there is a baby then my father will surely have you banished and I couldn't bear that. What will we do?" She sounded frantic but surprisingly no tears filled her eyes. Link admired her for that. Surely any other woman would be crying their eyes out if they had been in this predicament.

"Nothing will ever keep us apart." He promised her softly. He pulled the afghan from over the rocking chair and placed it around her shoulders.

"But if you are carrying my child then I don't want you getting sick." He told her, referring to the blanket.

"I'm two weeks late. I don't know if I'm just irregular this time or if…" She bit her lip and averted her eyes.

"Zel," he sat her down on the edge of the bed and sat beside her, "I don't know what's been going through your mind today but I love you. I want to marry you and have a family with you someday."

She glanced sideways at him.

"Does this mean that you aren't angry?" He chuckled at her words and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. His chin dug comfortably into her golden hair.

"Angry? Why would I be angry? How many times have I told you how badly I want to marry you and how many more times have we talked about having kids one day?" He kissed her before continuing.

"I'm not angry."

"How will we tell my father? There is no way that I am allowing him to banish you. If he dares to do that then I will come with you-"

"Shh. I love the enthusiasm and it makes me happy to know that you would follow me but let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have time to discuss this but we should rest. It has been a long day for you and a long night for us."

They got to their feet and pulled back the covers, both undressing on opposite sides of the bed. Zelda changed into a sheer nightgown while Link stripped down to his white leggings before they slipped under the blankets. Her skin was cold but nestled up to Link's warm chest banished the chill quickly and she was warm again.

"Good night Zelda. Sleep well and let your mind rest."

"Good night Link." She whispered before curling up to him closer and letting her eyes close, falling asleep with her head rising and falling on his chest.

* * *

The sun hadn't risen yet when Link opened his eyes. He nearly groaned when he realized that he would have to leave soon but didn't want to risk waking the woman sleeping with him in her comfy bed. He liked to watch her sleeping just before he left. 

He looked down at her, her hair falling out of the ponytail. She had nestled further into his chest as if it were her pillow and clutched him around the waist as he was doing to her. She was sleeping peacefully with a stoic look on her face. She looked beautiful, she always did.

He thought about the news he had read in the message the day before. When he had read it his heart had stopped and then picked up in double time. He hadn't at all been angry or upset about it but had wanted to see his angel right away. He wanted to know that she was alright and that she wasn't angry with him.

Truthfully, Link had been excited about the news. The thought of having a baby with Zelda elated him in a way that most people only dreamed about. A smile warmed his face when he thought of being called a daddy. Goddesses was he happy.

He watched her for a few more moments before gently freeing himself from beneath her. She grabbed onto the blankets and whimpered, tugging them close. He laughed as he dressed in his undershirt and tunic. As he put his leather gloves back on he stepped into his boots. As he was tightening his belt he heard the angel awaken and turned to see her stretching.

"It can't be time already." She insisted sleepily, sitting up. She yawned cutely and moved out from underneath the covers, letting her hair out as she walked around the bed towards him. He put on his cap.

"I wish it weren't." He said sincerely, pulling her into a hug. He buried his face into her shoulder and brushed his lips over the skin exposed. It was like silk under his mouth.

"You'll come today?" She asked anxiously as she let go of him. He kept his arms around her still and nodded.

"Why wouldn't I? I'm still your mentor eh?" He leaned in and kissed her for as long as he could. It quickly became heated and she tangled her fingers in his messy hair while he pulled her against his body.

"You've taught me well." She breathed into his face when they separated. He laughed again and slid his hands down onto her hips as he bent down and looked at her stomach through the thin nightgown with the same expression as before. He leaned in and kissed it tenderly before straightening up.

"I will see you soon." He promised, brushing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. She nodded, touched by the sweetness of his reaction to all of this, and watched him leave through the window. As she gazed down at him she wondered if this would be such a bad thing after all.


	6. Unexpected Engagement

Chapter 6

_It is such a shame that the two anonymous reviewers didn't leave emails! I really appreciated both of your reviews! And to the other reviewers – I emailed you guys._

The invitations for Zelda's eighteenth birthday were very intricate with gold lettering written upon cream colored parchment, charred at the edges for effect. They were sent out immediately and by the time the day finally arrived, Zelda and Link were both in a frenzy.

Zelda still had not chosen a suitor and that meant that her father was now able to decide. When he would make this announcement she didn't know but she knew that he wouldn't want to put it off for very long. She was quite sure that any day now he would tell the people who his daughter would wed and set the date and everything. Just thinking about it saddened her. She didn't want to marry anyone besides Link. And he didn't want to see her marry another man.

Upon Zelda's request, the people of the market place were all invited to attend the ball celebrating her birthday. That meant that Link would be attending. Also on the guest list were many past suitors and other royal families of different lands. The party would be very important.

At sunset she slowly started to get ready for that evening. She had always thought when she was a little girl that this night would be special. That she would look like a fairy tale princess and she would have a handsome man at her side. Instead she felt sick to her stomach with the prospect of being presented to everyone, including the princes. How they would scrutinize her and size her up. She didn't deserve that. No one did.

The dress that she would wear had been being made by the seamstresses for over three weeks now. It was such a work of art that it had taken five of them over that period of time to accomplish it. Zelda saw that it was a very beautiful dress but couldn't feel excited to wear it. She hoped it looked positively ugly on her.

She slipped out of her underclothes and pulled on her corset. She had only worn it once before in her life and decided to wear it that night because her father expected her to. She didn't want to anger him and so she laced it up with minor difficulty before carefully slipping into her dress. It fit snugly and without any trouble and so she turned and looked into the mirror. Her heart broke.

Out of all the women in the world, Zelda quickly skyrocketed at that moment to the number one position. The corset had extenuated her hour glass figure. Her breasts were pushed upward and were smashed together, appearing to be a cup larger than they actually were.

Her dress, made of white colored duchesse satin, outlined every curve in all of the right places. Crystals were sewn into the fabric around the neckline and down the empire line in front. The over skirt split at the front to reveal a second skirt beneath the first of the same pure color. The off the shoulder sleeves split on the elbow and fell back.

She should have been ecstatic to look so stunning but instead she wished she were dressed in a torn dress and caked in mud. Anything to hide her and discourage men from thinking of her as a vision of beauty.

Upon her feet she wore very uncomfortable high heels with complicated straps that teased and tortured her for many a minute. Once they were on and strapped up she went to her vanity and brushed through her hair which played off her dress nicely. It was as if she were an angel with her golden hair and white dress.

She proceeded to pull her hair up and twist it about, clipping it with many bobby pins designed with pearls and crystals. A few tendrils fell away and curled like corkscrews alongside her pale skin but the look was sophisticated anyways.

With a bit of perfume and a bit of blush brushed over her cheeks and cleavage she was ready to face the world waiting for her in the throne room. Her father had told her that Garin would escort her into the room and that he would be waiting for her in the foyer. She had not been brave enough to deny him.

She gracefully came down the stairs and spotted Garin waiting for her by the railing. He wore the same silver chest plate but paired it with a pair of silver leggings and a red cape over his back. His boots were free of any smudges or dirt, completely spotless. He flashed her a smile.

"You look gorgeous." He told her, taking her hand. His lips touched her knuckles and she shivered slightly when she felt how cold they were. Like frosty window panes after it had snowed outside.

"Thank you." She spoke quietly and allowed him to link her arm through his. She didn't particularly like the way he eyed her as if she were a trophy. But she kept her lips closed and merely waited as the guards opened the doors leading into the throne room.

Everyone seemed to turn their attention all at once to the doors as they opened. Zelda could hear her and Garin's names echoing off of the ceiling. She felt completely stupid as the people stared at the couple. All of Hyrule seemed to be thinking the same thing – what an angel.

"My dear you look as lovely as your mother." The king told Zelda as he met the two. She ripped her arm from Garin's and embraced her father.

"I doubt that." She had seen many portraits of her mother and the woman was a Goddess. She had the thickest, blondest hair you had ever seen in your entire life. It surrounded her face and fell down past her chest in curls. Unlike Zelda, her mother had had true blue eyes. Not one speck of green could be found. Just blue.

Before her father could argue, she moved past him and started to search for the only person she wanted to see. She knew he would be there even though they both hated things like this. She knew he would be there for her. He always was.

Suddenly her elbow was yanked behind one of the enormous pillars and she gasped. She instantly met the eyes of her one true love. He looked just as amazing as he always did. He had traded in his green tunic for one colored a deep red. His cap was missing but Zelda was happy to see that his locks were still messy. He wore his golden gauntlets over his fingerless gloves and the same white leggings.

His blue eyes ran very slowly over every curve of her body. He studied every detail as though he would never again see her. He still couldn't believe that she was his.

"I find it hard to breathe as I stand before you." He said truthfully, hardly taking a breath at all in her presence. He took one of her hands and placed it against his muscular chest while he cupped her fair cheek with the other.

"Zel no other woman could ever surpass your beauty. I can't even describe how incredible you look tonight. The Goddesses themselves couldn't compare, my love." He fingered a strand of her hair.

"This is only for you. I did this only for you." She whispered.

"If only." He murmured sadly, caressing her cheek. He then knew it was time for them to reappear and so he gently nudged her back out into the crowd. She turned back to look at him nervously.

"I'll be watching." He mouthed, crossing his heart with his finger. She nodded and returned to mingle with the other guests while he watched from a distance, only partially listening to the conversation he was involved in.

She saw couples dancing and knew with a solemn heart that soon she would be expected to do so as well. Memories flickered through her mind of one day she had danced with Link. Images of the two sitting by Lake Hylia flashed in front of her. She could see him wearing his normal clothes, locking his arms around her. She could see the smile cross her face as he playfully dipped her. They jumped into the water together. Surfaced for a kiss…

"Princess?" She snapped out of her thoughts to see Prince Kiel standing in front of her. He had been one of the first suitors to come to the kingdom. He flicked his black hair back.

"Would you like to dance?" His eyes seemed hopeful. She sighed but took his hand and knew her face was uninterested and dead.

"Sure." She answered simply while he led her to the floor. He placed his hands on her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. He was a very awkward dancer, not wanting to move from their spot very much. It wasn't before long that a tap was on her shoulder and she turned to see Prince Thatcher.

He was a clumsy dancer. He stepped on her feet a couple of times and counted his steps aloud, stumbling about and even bumping into a young woman. But he was soon replaced and then that prince was replaced and then another came and then another. Zelda was beginning to lose count.

Finally the one prince she _really_ didn't want to dance with bravely asked her to dance. His red hair glinted underneath the chandelier above them. She nodded in response and assumed the same position she had been in most of the night.

Link pushed his way through the crowd that formed around the two, watching Garin like a hawk. He nearly snarled like an animal he was so angry. None of those idiot suitors knew how to treat her. They all deserved to be fed to Volvagia.

"You seem very tense Princess." Garin said with a chilly tone.

"How would you feel?" She challenged, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Being carted from man to man like a rag doll." He laughed at her response to his statement and leaned in, his breath surprisingly cold. It made her hair stand on end and she didn't like how close his mouth was to her neck.

"Isn't that what this is about?"

At that time the hero stepped in, taking his hand and covering Garin's face. He then pushed the prince backwards, sending him flying into another suitor. Well…that was what Link _wanted_ to do. Instead he settled for moving in and tapping Zelda on the shoulder.

"I know this night is for love but," he glared at Garin, "would you mind sparing your mentor and friend a dance?"

Zelda let Link sweep her away from Garin. Link kept his arms protectively around the princess's tiny waist and tugged her extremely close. She restrained herself from laying her head on his inviting chest and merely wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up into his eyes and saw anger swirling in them.

"He makes me sick. This all makes me sick." She beat him to it. He nodded in agreement with a clenched jaw.

"Link, there is something I need to tell you. Can we-"

"Zelda, please will you share a dance with another prince? That is, after all, what they came for." King Harkanian said a bit harshly, glancing at the hungry princes'.

"Later." She said low enough for only Link to hear. She let go of him with a heavy heart and went to go and dance with another boyish prince who was waiting to look down her dress and touch her.

The evening dragged on and everyone seemed to be having fun. Dinner had been served and drinks had been poured. People were laughing and talking while Zelda and Link suffered. After that incident with her father, Zelda had not talked to Link anymore that night. He had kept an eye on her though.

Zelda was just thinking up a reason to leave when she was tugged behind a pillar again. Thinking it was Link she allowed him to drag her behind it. She was shocked to see that it was Garin who had grabbed her.

"Garin? What are you-"

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He said suddenly, his speech husky and deep. His words slurred just a smidge. It was then that she could smell the heavy aroma of wine coming off of him.

"You're drunk." She spat, wrenching her arm from his grasp. He moved his arm around her and pulled her close, his mouth inches from her own.

"Make love to me. I want to be inside of you. I need you." He told her. She tried to pull away but he had trailed one icy finger down between her breasts. She touched the place and was about to slug him when he spun her around and pinned her to the pillar. He then roughly bit at her neck, kissing her bare skin.

She nearly screamed but instead fought back. Why not? Zelda ain't some wimp. She's a badass. She brought her knee slamming up into his manhood. She knew that he wouldn't be pissing correctly for a little while. He gasped for air and bent at the waist while she wiped at her neck.

Then there was Link, looking rather savage, as he whipped out his sword and thrust the tip of it into Garin's neck. It broke the skin but he wasn't hurt. Link kneeled down and grabbed the prince by the armor and growled in his face. Link's blue eyes were filled with rage and his eyebrows angrily furrowed over top of them.

"I will spill every ounce of your blood if you _ever_ even dream of touching the princess again. Now get out of Hyrule and don't you _ever_ dream of coming back here." He sheathed his sword just in time to see Zelda moving as if in a trance, back out into the room. He followed.

"The announcement I am about to make will change Hyrule. I have decided on the suitor that will marry my daughter. You have all seen him and gotten to know him tonight. Prince Garin of Alcott." The king's voice was then drowned out by applause and cheering.

"No." Zelda breathed, staring wide eyed at her father. She couldn't process a single thought for she was growing dizzy. Her eyes refused to focus as everything spun out of control. She needed to breathe but had forgotten how.

She was vaguely aware of Link's voice asking her if she was alright and telling her that she needed to sit down. His voice grew even more concerned as her vision tumbled a bit. Zelda realized she had nearly fallen. His arms were around her waist but not for long. She moved out of his hold and regained her lungs, breathing to restore her sight.

She fled from the room and up the stairs, her breathing heavy and labored. She seemed to lost and confused. Why was this her life? Was her father blind? She couldn't marry Garin. She couldn't be a princess. She was worthless.

"Zelda!" Link's voice called after her, still filled with worry. She ignored him and got into her bedroom, collapsing to the floor upon her knees. Her hands moved to the crown of her head, fingers tangling with her hair and ready to rip it from her scalp.

"I need to die. I need to die. I need to die." She mumbled, still gasping for air as though one lung had burst.

"Zelda, Zelda." Link grabbed her shoulders, now kneeling in front of her. He shook her and rattled her about to break her from this daze. He frantically shouted in her face.

"This. Isn't. My. Life." She said shakily.

"Zel look at me." Link took her face into his hands and forced her head up to look at him, his eyes boring into hers. He refused to let the people downstairs ruin her life. He loved her too much to let them do this to her. Destroy her.

"Listen to my voice. This is your life and I know it seems bad but I am here. I'm going to fix everything for you because I love you. I love you Zel." He kissed her forehead.

Strangled sobs escaped her throat and tears began to flood her eyes and she hated herself for it. She didn't want to cry about any of this but since she was having a breakdown at the moment, why not? Link held her in his arms and his concern for her bubbled over. He had never seen her this way before.

"I let this go on for too long." He whispered into her hair. She looked up at him with wide eyes while the tears still ripped through her. He caught her panicked expression and shook his head, pulling her closer.

"No not like that. I meant that I should have taken you away a long time ago. This is my fault that this is happening." He rocked her like a baby as he continued to cradle her.

"This isn't good for you at all. This isn't good for our baby either."

"Link," she whimpered, "there isn't a baby." He looked down at her and didn't hide the disappointment from his face.

"When?"

"This morning." She looked sad about it too. He placed another kiss on her forehead.

"We have the rest of our lives to have a baby Zel. I promise I have this worked out now and I'm going to get you out of here."

"What are we going to do?"


	7. Revealed

Chapter 7

"I'm taking you away from here Zel. Away from the castle and from this life. We can start a new life together away from here." Link stroked her hair. She was now quietly cradled in his lap, her breathing normal and her tears stopped.

"You'd like that wouldn't you? We could go live in Termina. You always told me how you wanted to go well here's our chance."

Zelda thought about this. It all sounded perfect. She could just imagine how liberated she would feel if Link took her from the castle and away to Termina. She _had_ always wanted to go there because from the stories he'd told, it sounded wonderful.

"Yes, I would love that." She answered. She looked up to see his grin and he kissed her swiftly before suddenly having the two of them on their feet. She was puzzled as to what he was doing as she curiously watched him digging through his tunic. He wore a look of pure concentration on his face. He finally brightened and pulled out something from the inside of his clothes.

"Alright now I had this all planned out." He said, looking rather frustrated.

"Link?" He looked up at her. She watched as he got down on one knee though he had just stood up, and took one of her hands in his. It was a lovely picture – his large, gauntlet clad hand holding her small, delicate hand.

"Zel, I know that you have many men who want you to marry them. As they should because you are a Goddess, beautiful and perfect in every way. I love you more than any of them no matter how much money they have or how much land they own. You have my heart and my affections no matter what happens." He opened his free fist and in his palm was a silver chain. Upon the silver chain hung a charm.

"I know you're supposed to have a ring but…the blacksmith taught me how to make this and I didn't have enough money to buy a ring." He slowly got to his feet and loomed over Zelda. His face was hopeful and incredibly sexy to her.

"Zelda Harkanian will you marry me?" He held out the necklace to her and she eyed the charm dangling there. It was a small silver piece made to look like an ocarina. It looked more like a rounded tree stump but she thought it was the best thing she'd ever gotten.

"What do you think?" She asked, barely a whisper. They leaned in and kissed passionately while he slipped the necklace around her neck. The ocarina fell deep into the inside of her dress between her breasts.

She gripped the red tunic in her fists while he held the back of her head with one hand and rested the other against her neck. They both were quickly running out of oxygen but neither cared. That night had been horrible and now they were making up for it. But reality stormed in as a knock sounded at the door.

"Link," Zelda's eyes became terrified, "I don't want to go back." Link saw her distress and held her face, trying to calm her down.

"Shh. You don't have to darling." With ease and great care, he picked up the very lightweight princess and carried her to the bed, laying her down just as quickly as he had picked her up. He then motioned for her to go to sleep while he answered the door.

"Where is my daughter?" The king asked with both concern and anger. He had simply watched her flee the scene and had been embarrassed.

"The corset she was wearing began to suffocate her. She is asleep now." Link answered.

"Well is she alright?"

"I believe she just needs to rest. If it pleases you I will watch her in case she wakes. Then when the party is over you can send a maid in." To this the king nodded in agreement and Link breathed a sigh of relief.

"Notify me if she needs anything." With that he was gone just as fast as he'd come and he still didn't look very happy. After closing the door he returned to Zelda's side and she opened her eyes to greet him.

"Will we leave tonight Link?" She asked longingly, sitting up. He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her thigh.

"I need a few days to have everything ready. I'll need to ride to Termina and rent a room at the Stock Pot Inn. I should be gone three days at the most."

"But what will you tell my father as to why you're leaving?"

"I'll simply tell him that I needed to take care of a pest and he won't know a thing." Though everything for now seemed fairly full proof he didn't want to leave his fiancée with Garin. He didn't even want to think about what he would do to her.

"You should sleep." He coaxed suddenly, gently freeing her hair from its up do. He tossed the pins onto the nightstand and watched her comb through the locks with her fingers. She then made a move to get up to take off her dress but he stopped her with a wave of his hand.

He got to his feet and stood in front of her. He was about to help her out of the dress when she reached out and loosened his belt. She looked up at him to ask if it was alright with her eyes and by the look in his own she knew it was. And so she watched his tunic fall to the ground around his feet.

He wasted no time in ripping off his undershirt and tossing it to the ground as well, the muscles in his chest and arms flexed.

She raised her arms and he slowly pulled the dress up and over her head, laying the garment over the edged of the bed before moving forward and kissing her. She laid down on the bed while he crawled over her, kissing her ravenously while her nails grazed his back. They both moaned.

She slowly moved her hands down as he got up on his knees, bringing her up with him. Tearing at his leggings, they ripped fairly easily.

"Zelda." He half moaned, half scolded while he bit down on her earlobe.

"Mmm. Don't worry I did your laundry." She pulled herself closer into him with her fingers laced together behind his shoulders. She gripped them for dear life as he unlaced the back of her corset with his free hand. His fingers brushed playfully over the newly naked skin as the corset fell away.

When she was completely nude he laid her down again. She watched him as he parted her legs and moved in between them, his hands moving up her legs while his lips touched her stomach and moved on up. When he reached her mouth he captured it as well while pumping two fingers in and out of her. She gasped into his mouth.

When he finally pushed himself into her she cried out.

"Yes Link! Yes!" She couldn't help herself. He clamped a hand over her mouth, although aroused at hearing her say his name like that, and waited for a moment before continuing. He buried his face deep into her hair and whispered her name, kissing her neck to rid it of Garin.

Afterwards they lay together, their legs tangled in the sheets but the rest of them uncovered. Zelda lay on her side facing the window, hands beneath her head. Link was also lying on his side curled around her, running his hand slowly up and down her arm while the other supported him on an elbow.

The party would soon be ending and the couple was trying to stretch out their last moments together before Link left for Termina. He traced a freckle dotting her shoulder with his fingertip, thinking about places he and Zelda could live. They couldn't live permanently at the Stock Pot Inn. Eventually they would have to move on and he wondered if they could just live right there in Clock Town. He was contemplating building a house right on Great Bay with a view of the ocean.

Zelda rolled onto her back and looked up into his face. He looked back down at her and they both studied each other's faces, trying to decipher exactly what the other was thinking by their expressions. Both faces were lost in thoughts of what their future would hold. They were young and had so much more time to live together.

"Will you be here when I wake?" She asked quietly, reaching up to stroke his cheek. He leaned into her touch and sighed ever so softly.

"No. I leave soon but I will stay until you fall asleep if you wish." She pulled her hand away and moved onto her side again. The moon was visible through the window and the sky was very dark. Stars poked through and twinkled like jewels.

Link silently understood and pulled the covers up over his princess, tucking them around her body. He then leaned over and blew out the candle. The room immediately darkened, save for the moonlight spilling through the glass. Shadows danced across the walls.

"Goodnight Zel." He murmured, kissing her cheek as she faded into a deep sleep. Her lips parted and she breathed rather heavily. Her eyelids fluttered and twitched, her eyelashes tapping against her skin.

He silently rose and went to the closet, opening it without making a sound. There, as promised, was a bin of clothes Zelda had washed for him. Taking his green tunic and a fresh pair of leggings, he crossed the room to the bed and slipped into his leggings and undershirt. He folded up his green tunic and tucked it away inside of his red tunic as he dressed in it. He dared not sit down on the bed to put on his boots for fear that he would wake her.

Once he was fully clothed again he circled the bed to watch his love sleep. She had cuddled up to her pillow with her hands still resting beneath her head. The halo of hair spread out around the pillowcase and shined in the little moonlight. Her skin lit up and glistened, perfectly formed and with an even texture. Beautiful.

He longed to kiss her or to even touch her face but settled upon raking his eyes over her form many a minute before wrenching himself from her side. Closing the door behind him as he left he returned to the lower level and saw guests already leaving. Some gathered in the foyer and chattered excitedly.

The king was at the doors, fare welling all who had come. When he saw Link his expression became worried. Link went to his side and spoke quietly so to keep their business private.

"Princess Zelda is still asleep and is well. I came to ask your Highness for permission to leave for Termina tonight. I was summoned there to assist Clock Town in a problem they have. I should only be gone for three days, perhaps shorter."

"Hmm." The king nodded to a couple as they exited. He then turned his attention to Link.

"You have my permission. Have a safe journey." He patted him on the back and watched the boy leave, hurrying across the field to the main gate.

Link made his way through the market place and across the draw bridge, dashing across the fields of Hyrule as he made his way to Lon Lon Ranch. He knew that Malon would still be awake – she always stayed up rather late. So he was not surprised to see her in the middle of the clearing.

"Link? What are you doing here?" Malon asked, running up to him. She knew that Zelda's eighteenth birthday party had been that night. She was curious as to why he wasn't there.

"I don't have much time to explain but I need Epona." His eyes flashed towards the stables before returning to her quizzical face. She was still curious and drowning in questions but nodded, leading him to her stall.

"Are you running from something?" She asked as she flung open the door. Epona nearly galloped right out but stopped long enough for the two teens to saddle and bridle her. She threw her white mane about and whinnied impatiently.

"Not exactly." He _was_ running away with Zelda from Hyrule. But at least they were running somewhere and not just aimlessly wandering around.

"Well whatever you're doing be careful." She warned him as he mounted the horse. She thrusted a jug of milk into the saddle bag and collected two apples from the barrel at her side, shoving them inside of the bag too.

"Will do Malon." He assured her, saluting the redhead. She saluted him back and watched as he galloped off into the night, her mind swimming with thoughts of what he could possibly be doing. She wondered if it had anything to do with Zelda.

Link rode across the fields of Hyrule, heading deep into the forest. Epona was more than happy to be riding so fast. She always seemed to enjoy taking Link for these adventures and quests. She was his faithful companion and trusty sidekick. He never used any other horse unless he absolutely had to.

He thought about seeing his old friends again. He hadn't been back to Termina in over a year and missed it. The last time he had been in he had visited with Kafei and Anju, who had three kids of their own. All three called him Uncle Link though they knew he wasn't really their uncle. He had also met with Cremia and Romani. Romani had gotten very good with her bow and she and Link would practice together.

He had told stories to the Bombers and all of the other little kids in Clock Town. He had told them stories about the Forest Temple – filled with labyrinths of surprises and haunted by four Poes' and a phantom.

About the Fire Temple – burning hot lava surrounding the area, monsters that danced and exploded, and a fire breathing dragon that ate up Gorons for lunch.

About the Water Temple – where the entire time he had nearly killed himself figuring out the puzzles and killing the odd, jelly like beast that lurked there.

About the Spirit Temple – the home of two witches who fused their powers together with both flame and ice, using Iron Knuckles to do their bidding.

About the Shadow Temple – house of the dead and where Link could fly across gaps to reach the other side.

But what they loved most was to hear about the final battle with Ganondorf. They listened intently as he would spin tales of a horrifyingly ugly man who was destined to rise up and bring with him great evil. His skin was a sickly shade of green and his hair a flaming red. His eyes burned with wickedness and hatred, striking fear in the hearts of all who looked upon him.

The kids gasped in surprise when they heard about Sheik transforming into none other than the princess herself. They were awed by the way Link described her beauty, comparing her hair to the sun and her eyes to the sky. They grew scared when they heard the part when she was kidnapped. They cheered when he defeated the Evil King and rescued her from his clutches, only to become frightened again when Ganon rose up. But in the end they were satisfied when all was set right.

He smiled when he thought how they would react when he brought the real princess to see them. The boys would all blush and the girls would all want to be friends with her.

"Come on girl." Link patted Epona's rear and clenched the reigns tighter in his hands, steering her through the maze of trees.

"We'll be in Termina by tomorrow afternoon."

* * *

When the sun rose Zelda was already awake. She had been awake for quite some time, sitting in the rocking chair by the window. She tugged the brush gently through her hair for the twenty-millionth time as she stared out into the field. The guards walked their usual posts and the grass blew gently with the occasional breeze.

She planned on spending most of her time for the next couple of days far away from her father and from Garin. She knew this would be a hard task but it was worth it to try. She loathed thinking about making wedding plans and spending time with the prince.

Touching the charm dangling against her chest she thought about her real fiancée. The one who was riding to Termina to make plans for the two of them. The one whom she loved more than her own life. The one who was going to take her away from all of this. She smiled and set down the brush to get dressed.

She stepped into one of her dresses and pulled her hair into a knot on the back of her head, tucking the necklace into the inside of her dress before pulling open the door. She came face to face with someone she didn't want to see. The one whom she hated. The one who she was being forced to marry. The one who had defiled her the night before. Garin.

His eyes sparkled oddly as they usually did. He looked rather tired with dark circles beneath his eyes and the way his hair was tousled.

"What do you want?" Zelda snapped angrily, having the mind to let him have it right in the nose. He seemed fairly unsurprised by her tone and sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"May we talk please?" She laughed humorlessly.

"What is there to talk about?"

"Please just for a few minutes." Zelda continued to glare at him but stepped aside to allow him into her bedroom. He walked past her and she closed the door, turning around towards him.

"Now what is it-" Before she could finish her question, she was suddenly overcome by a sudden weight that seemed to settle over her. It soaked into her legs and arms, nearly dragging her down to the floor. Her head even seemed heavy.

"I tried," Garin took a step towards her, "very hard to accomplish this without the use of my power. But you proved to be even more stubborn than I thought. And that lover of yours…"

"What?" Her voice was strained but she managed to keep it even. She tried to take a step but his hand flew out, palm facing her, and she was completely frozen to her spot. She tried to move but though her mind screamed out to her muscles they wouldn't respond.

"I should have used a spell in the first place. But I prefer to preserve my magic for better causes." He looked smug and lowered his hand.

"You aren't really a prince are you?"

"On the contrary…of course I am. My name is Prince Garin of Alcott. My father is the king of Alcott, and my mother the queen. However they favor my brother and were going to send him here instead of me. Which is why I had to kill him."

"Y-you killed your own brother?" Zelda was dumbstruck. She had known something was wrong with Garin and yet she had been stupid enough not to do anything about it sooner. Now it was too late.

"Now, now it wasn't a great loss."

"But won't your parents know? Won't my father and the rest of Hyrule find out?" The way he laughed in response made her blood turn cold.

"Did I forget to mention that this is my brother's body? I took his over after I slaughtered him in his sleep. I am now Garin while he is…well dead."

"You're sick."

"Well that's one way of looking at it. But I need your throne. With the throne, I will come to know of the Royal Family secrets. I can then access anything I want…let's say, _the Ocarina of Time_? With that I can turn back time and claim the Triforce as my own." He reached out and touched a loose lock of hair.

"And I will have you." She wanted to struggle. She wanted to bite off his hand for touching her again.

"You won't get away with this."

"And why shouldn't I? No one will ever know." Now it was her time to laugh.

"What makes you think I won't tell?" He cupped her cheek in one of his icy hands and smiled evilly at her.

"You are not the only being on this planet that can use magic Princess." He pressed his lips to her forehead and breathed in the scent of her skin.

"If I cast a spell on you to fall in love with me then it will be suspicious. It is clear that you do not love me. However, I can cast another spell that will work in my favor." He then closed his eyes and pressed the palm of his hand to her forehead, chanting under his breath. Zelda tried to listen but soon felt herself slipping under.

The last thing she remembered was hearing Garin's voice.


	8. Imposter

Chapter 8

Clock Town was just as Link remembered it to be as he walked into the South Clock Town entrance. He had left Epona with Cremia and Romani after visiting with them for awhile, promising to return and visit for a longer period of time before leaving to return to Hyrule. Romani seemed excited to practice archery while riding the full grown horse.

The carpenters, always busy, were working on rebuilding stands for the bazaar in the center of South Clock Town. The sounds of their nails being driven into the wood echoed along with their laugher and jesting. A small dog gamboled about them. The postman took the mail from the mailbox before heading towards West Clock Town.

Link made his way towards the steps leading up into East Clock Town. He saw the Bombers playing in the circle immediately. And they saw him as well. They all cheered his name, running to him and leaping on top of him. He landed on the ground with a thud.

"Hey kids." He laughed as they continued to climb on top of him.

"Why'd you take so long to come back?" Jim asked.

"Sorry I've been in Hyrule keeping it safe." Slowly the boys got off of him and he got to his feet, dusting off his tunic and looking down at the smiling faces. He returned their smiles with one of his own.

"Will you tell us a story Link? Will you?" One of them asked, tugging at his leggings.

"Yeah Link!" Soon they were all begging him for a story and grabbing onto him.

"I promise to tell you all a story when I come back with Zelda." When he said her name they all let go of him and stepped back, staring at him with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

"Zelda? The princess? She's coming?"

"Yes she's coming. Hopefully I can bring her here very soon. But now I have to go to the Stock Pot Inn." He nodded towards the building straight ahead. The Bombers reluctantly agreed to let him leave and continued their game though they were excited about the hero's return.

Inside the Stock Pot Inn, Anju stood behind the front desk in the lobby. Her three kids played on the floor. Her son, Lido, was commanding his sisters, Erika and Jana, as if they were his humble servants. They seemed to be having a great deal of fun.

"Link!" Anju spotted him and disappeared for a moment. At the sound of his name, the three kids looked up and tackled him the same way the Bombers had although he didn't fall to the ground. The little girls had both his legs while Lido grabbed his middle.

"Hey kids. How are you doing?" He asked, ruffling Lido's purple hair. He looked just like his father, Kafei.

"We were just playing a game." Lido stepped back and his sisters copied him. Now it was Anju's turn to hug Link as she reappeared.

"It's good to see you." She said as they broke apart.

"It's good to see you too. Where's Kafei?" Anju rolled her eyes and smiled.

"He's gone to try and fish again. That man couldn't catch one little tuna with three tons of bait." She shook her head.

"What brings you back here?"

"I was actually wondering if I could rent a room."

"Of course. For tonight or-"

"No…I need to make reservations…I was wondering if you could keep a room ready for me for about a week." She looked puzzled by his request and so he continued.

"I'm bringing Zelda to Termina and still haven't figured out when exactly we're going to be arriving. It should be within that time frame so if you could just-"

"The princess? Have you finally proposed to her?" Link blushed and scratched the back of his neck with a slight nod and a sheepish smile.

"So do you think…?"

"Of course. I can keep a room ready for you for about a week. Do you need somewhere to stay tonight?"

"No I'm heading back right away. I just needed to rent the room and I wanted to say hello."

"Well if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask." Anju then turned her attention to the kids who were now begging her for something to eat. With a chuckle, Link left her to tend to her kids.

* * *

Cremia had dinner ready when Link returned near sunset. He had spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with others around Clock Town and walking back to Romani Ranch. By the time he reached the house he was starving.

"Do you plan to leave tonight?" She asked, loading up Link's plate with a generous amount of food after seeing the hungry expression on his face. She set it in front of him and watched as he tried very hard not to attack everything at once.

"I was hoping to." He answered, already nearly finished with the Cuckoo leg he had been served. He paused only to take a long drink of milk. Romani giggled at him.

The little girl was a spitting image of Malon as a kid. Romani was now fifteen years old and was the same playful girl she had been the day Link met her. Link smiled at her.

"Grasshopper you must have been working a lot today."

"I'll bet you did too. How was Epona for you?"

"I hit all twenty targets on the first try! Aren't I getting better?" She beamed, looking quite proud of herself.

"Congratulations." He ruffled her hair playfully to which she responded by throwing his hand away, moving her fingers through the mess to fix it.

The rest of dinner was spent catching up and telling stories. When the sun began to set, Link loaded up Epona and said his goodbyes so that he could return to Hyrule. He was ready to return to Zelda's side and rescue her from _Garin_.

* * *

That day was truly a _summer_ day. The scorching sun beat down on Link and Epona as he rode through the fields. Epona was beginning to grow restless for she knew that they were nearly to their destination. She rode faster.

Link lifted the back of his hand and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead. He had the bright idea to hurl himself into Lake Hylia to relieve himself of this heat. But he had something more important on his mind. He wanted to see her. He wanted to see her wearing that necklace around her pale neck. He shivered when he thought of that, despite it being so hot.

Seeing everyone in Termina being so excited about seeing her made him even more excited. He and Zelda would be together in their little house on the beach. She would help him tell the kids stories and go along with him on his adventures. Together. He smiled.

Instead of stopping at Lon Lon Ranch to deposit Epona, he rode her over the draw bridge and through the market place. When he reached the main gate he dismounted and the guard had it opened for him.

"King Harkanian is in a meeting." He told Link.

"Where is the princess?" The guard thought for a moment before he remembered.

"I believe she is with Prince Garin in the courtyard." Link didn't like the sound of that. He wondered how many guards it had taken to get her to spend anytime with the prince. He knew she must've been miserable.

He wasted no time in rushing through the field and circling the castle, heading for the courtyard. When he reached it he stopped in the archway, unable to believe what he saw before him. Garin was seated beside Zelda on the steps, stroking her hair.

The dress she wore was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The color was an unimaginably bright red color through and through. Every inch of it was that color without a smudge or a stain to ruin it. The material was silk charmeuse and looked incredibly soft. Both the waist and neckline were drawstring, both playing off her curves with the help of the corset. The slashed shoulders showed a fair amount of her creamy skin and added a bit more sensuality to the already questionable dress.

"Zelda?" Link finally found his lips though his heart fell like it was going to pieces. He made his way into the courtyard as Garin stood to greet him. The way he smiled at Link made his skin crawl.

"Oh Link you've returned! Well isn't that _swell_."

"Get away from her Garin or I'll fulfill the promise I made to you the night you dared to touch her." Link threatened, grabbing the hilt of his sword with both hands. Garin seemed amused.

"Really? Well I'd wonder how the king would feel if you assassinated the future king of Hyrule. How would the princess feel?" He suddenly grabbed Zelda's forearm and jerked the woman to her feet.

"She doesn't love you." Link spat angrily.

"What makes you think that?"

Link finally turned his attention to his fiancée and saw something very wrong. Her face was blank, drained of all emotion. Her sea green eyes, usually filled with life and energy, were dull and glazed over as though she were a million miles away. She seemed to be staring past Link as he stood before her.

"Zel? Zel what's wrong?" He gripped her shoulders and stared into her dead eyes, growing fearful of what could have happened to her. She hardly seemed to blink.

"What did you do to her!" Link snarled, letting go of Zelda and turning his body towards Garin. He lunged for him and grabbed his throat.

"Answer me!"

"Guards!" The prince shouted, and Link released him instantly. But not before the guards who had heard the calls had seen him. They rushed in but Link took the princess by the shoulders again.

"What happened? Snap out of it Zel. It's me, it's Link." He spoke softly to her, pleading with his blue eyes for her to drag herself from this daze and answer him. He was drowning in fear for what the prince had done to her.

By this time the guards ceased Link and pulled him away from her. He struggled in their hold but to no avail. Garin put his arm around Zelda's shoulders and drew her close.

"This…_madman_ tried to kill me and threatened the princess. He has been sneaking into her quarters for many nights now. Put him in the dungeon." Garin ordered. The guards went to take Link away but Garin stopped them.

"Wait just a moment." He waited until Link's menacing eyes were locked onto his. Then, slowly, the prince leaned in and kissed the princess's neck. Link growled ferociously and struggled once more as he watched the cruel display. Zelda's face was still stone.

"Take him away." Garin ordered with a chuckle, waving his hand at them. The guards hauled Link out of the courtyard while he continued to call out to his love and plead with her to snap out of it.

When the guards reached the dungeons, they opened up the rotting, wooden door and tossed him inside of the dim room. He landed hard on the stone floor.

"We've even got a little friend for you." One of the guards said from the open doorway. Link slowly lifted his head from the hard floor and his eyes widened as he saw who was huddled against the wall. Cuffs around her wrists were chained to the wall behind her while both her feet were wrapped in chains as well.

"Zelda?" He felt completely numb. Had he not just seen her outside in the courtyard with Garin? He was about to scream in frustration when he saw the familiar chain around her neck and realized that the princess outside hadn't been wearing one.

Crawling fast to her side he cupped both her cheeks in his rough hands. He nearly cried in relief when he saw her gorgeous eyes glinting with the same light he had grown to know and love. She seemed just as happy to see him and they kissed, her hands holding onto his face as well.

"Oh Zel what happened? What's going on?" He murmured after their lips parted. But before she could answer him he was suddenly tugged backwards, hands moving to lock him in chains too.

"Link!" She called out to him as the guards chained him up on the opposite side of the room.

"Shut your mouth imposter." One of the guards spit upon the princess's face and connected a hard slap with the side of her head. When Link saw this he lashed out at the guards trying to chain him down.

The last thing he remembered was seeing the hilt of a dagger being slammed into the side of his head while the princess helplessly screamed out to him.


	9. Escape From The Castle

Chapter 9

_Thank you to all of my anonymous reviewers! I seriously wish you guys would leave emails so I could send you something nice like I do with my other awesome reviewers. But anyways, thanks again dudes._

From the window Zelda could see that it was getting darker. She assumed that it was sunset and looked down at her lap. Link's head was cradled there while she stroked his blonde hair. He still hadn't woken from his unconscious state and in that time she had ripped off material from her dress and took care of his wound as best as she could.

After he had been knocked out, Garin had suddenly appeared in the doorway. He watched the display with an evil smile while Zelda struggled against her restraints, wanting nothing more than to tear his face off. This amused him greatly and he ordered that Link be left unchained and had them release Zelda from her own binds.

Immediately she rushed to her fiancé's side and lifted his head into her lap, caressing his face. Garin had said the display was 'very sweet' and taunted the princess before he and the guards left the couple alone.

Link suddenly stirred, a groan rising in his throat. Zelda removed her fingers from his hair and placed a hand on his chest instead.

"Lie still." She instructed quietly. At the sound of her voice, he opened his eyes and waited impatiently for his vision to adjust before seeing her beautiful face above his. He realized his head was pillowed in her lap and made a move to get up but his head protested.

"Zelda…what happened?" He asked, his voice a bit thick. He remembered everything but couldn't fathom any of it. Two Zeldas…Garin throwing him in the dungeon…why was everything so topsy turvy?

"Garin isn't who we think he is. He is actually Prince James of Alcott, least favored by both his father and his mother. He killed his brother, who was the real Garin, and took his body for his own. I knew something was wrong. I am so stupid." She looked up from Link's face and towards the wall instead.

Link slowly sat up though his head was throbbing, and cupped her cheek, gently guiding her face in his direction. He could see the trouble brewing in her eyes and felt guilty having not been there when all of this happened.

"This is not your fault. I knew something wasn't right and still I didn't see it either. You are not stupid – you are the smartest person I know." He kissed her forehead and caressed her cheek, smiling and widening it when she returned the gesture.

"Garin bewitched everyone in the castle: the maids and the guards. They all answer to him now. He has not bewitched my father…yet. I fear that he will and when he does it will be very difficult to set everything right again."

"Zel, can't you use your magic?" Link eyed the door hopefully. She shook her head sadly and frowned.

"He put a spell on me. If I try and use my magic it will most likely…kill me." His eyes widened at her words and he began to think of all the ways he could slaughter Garin. Gouging out his eyes with red hot pokers, snapping his neck, perhaps throwing him into a pit of Redeads.

"What about the other Zelda? I saw her with Garin…" Link clenched his fist. Zelda noticed this and took it into her own hands, trying to soothe his rage and anger.

"He put another spell on me as well. One that created my twin, and he has her under his control. And because he bewitched the guards…they think that I am an imposter and that she is the real princess." Link remembered the guard calling his fiancée an imposter and now everything seemed to make sense.

"We have to get out of here." He muttered, eyeing the window. He reached into his tunic for his hookshot but realized that all of his weapons had been taken from him.

"It's hopeless." Zelda hung her head. She had spent the day searching for some way out and had found it quite impossible. If she used her magic then she would surely die.

Link frowned and tipped her chin back up to meet her eyes. His blue hues shined in the bit of moonlight spilling from the window above. His features softened when he saw the look of desperation and frustration on her face. He wanted nothing more than to snap his fingers and make all of this go away for her.

"Not yet it isn't. I won't stop fighting this until my last breath if I have to." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before tracing one finger from her jaw to her chin.

"Don't give up on me." He murmured, leaning in. She was leaning in as well when there was suddenly the sound of someone clapping. Both teens jerked their heads to the now open doorway to see Garin standing there.

"How touching. But truly you must know it is impossible to beat me now." He motioned with his hand to someone outside and three guards started into the room.

Link and Zelda both got to their feet, him taking a protective stance by placing both hands on her waist and pulling her tiny frame into him. He tried to put himself in front of her without moving her body far from his. Her hands found his broad shoulders fairly quickly. When they did this, Garin's smile darkened further.

"Chain him." The guards went for the couple, both of them tensing. One took Zelda's shoulders and attempted to pry her from Link's iron grip. The other two took hold of Link and pulled him towards the wall. Both struggled to get free.

"Let go of her!" Link roared, flailing wildly as his wrists were cuffed to the wall. He watched as Garin told the guards to wait outside. When they were gone Garin went to Zelda and stood in front of her.

"I tried to satisfy myself with your shell Princess. But it just isn't the same with her as it is with you." He reached out to her and trailed his fingers down her cheek, moving down her neck. His touch sent chills rushing down her spine and she shivered involuntarily.

Link snarled and continued to struggle against the cuffs. Watching Garin touching her that way awoke within him an anger that threatened to break lose and devour everything in his unspeakable rage. He saw Garin suddenly finger the engagement necklace around her neck.

"What do you want?" Zelda snapped viciously, her voice filled with poison. The only thing keeping her from mauling the prince was that she didn't want anything to happen to her fiancé. A sinking feeling in her stomach made her believe that if she didn't please Garin then he would have Link beaten or killed.

"I want you. No one else can have you. I expected to take this kingdom…but not to feel so strongly for you. I _must_ have you." He then took the chain in his grasp and yanked on it with enough force to break it from her neck. He crushed it in his fist, turning to glare at Link.

"I don't love you." She said defiantly. He turned back to face her, grabbing hold of her wrist and pulling her forward. His face was now contorted with anger, his teeth clenched together and his eyes burning.

"If you do not choose me then I will have him killed before your eyes. And if this still does not sway your decision, then I will have your father killed as well." Zelda's face fell and she began to feel trapped. If she chose this prince as he husband then she would spend the rest of her days miserable and the land would suffer. If she did not then her love and her father would die.

Meanwhile, Link had been working hard on freeing himself. Though his wrists were red and rubbed rather raw from his attempt to pull the cuffs free from the wall, they were beginning to loosen. He looked up momentarily to see the panicked expression on Zelda's face.

"What will it be Princess?" Garin touched a section of her gold hair, admiring it with his eyes.

The princess caught Link's eyes. They flickered to his binds and then back to her face. It took her a moment to realize that they were loose. She nodded to him before returning her gaze to Garin's.

"I choose love. I choose to be happy. I don't choose you and nor will any other woman as long as you walk this earth." She spat. She wasn't ready for the anger that boiled over as she said this. Garin tightened his hold on her wrist and with his other hand, grabbed a hold of her face harshly and forced her to look at him.

"Then you will watch as they die!" He thundered. He was about to throw her to the ground when the sound of Link freeing himself reached his ears. He turned to see the young man standing away from the wall as the cuffs fell to the ground. The indignant look in his blue eyes intensified further.

"Guards!" Garin shouted, turning back to Zelda – just as she connected a wonderful punch with his face. He landed in a heap on the floor, blood flowing steadily from his nostrils. He looked up just in time to see her towering over him with a chain dangling from her hands.

As the door busted open, Link grabbed a hold of Zelda's shoulder.

"We don't have time now! Hurry!" He turned his attention to the three guards flooding into the room. He was about to take care of the first when Zelda whirled around, whipping the chain meant for Garin at the guard. It hit him hard right across the face and sent him down.

Link swiped the dagger from the unconscious guard and moved forward, grabbing the guard advancing on him and slitting his throat in one quick motion. While he dispatched that guard, Zelda had managed to strangle the other with her chain, letting him fall to the ground when he was limp.

From there, the couple moved from the dungeon upon hearing more of the guards coming to investigate the brawl. At the end of the hall Link spied a table upon which all of his weapons were. Blocking them were two more guards.

Cursing under his breath, he readied his dagger but Zelda moved forward in an attempt to end the bloodshed.

"It is me. It is Princess Zelda and I order you to stand down." She sounded full of authority but the guards did not listen. They instead stood to attention as the king entered the room with the imposter at his side.

"How dare you call yourself the princess, imposter." King Harkanian said angrily, his arm around his daughter's shoulders. Zelda was shocked to see the imposter for the first time and how identical they looked.

"Father it-"

"Silence!" His voice echoed through the hall and sounded menacing enough to cause his daughter to jolt rather violently. Link noticed and glanced sideways at her.

"And Link. How dare you. After all of these years how could you betray our family?" The king's eyes were cold as was his tone.

"Your Highness you must understand. There is a plot against your kingdom. The woman at your side is not Zelda. She-"

"And how dare you speak of my daughter! You dare try to assassinate her future husband and now you speak ill of her. The two of you will be put to death if it is the last thing that I do." He then looked to the guards as he pushed the imposter from the room.

"Put them back in the cell." He ordered before leaving. Zelda reached out a hand as if to stop him but stopped her futile attempt to try and change his mind. She felt tears rising in her eyes but blinked furiously to discourage them from falling.

As the guards came towards them, she made a move to attack but Link took hold of her hand and shook his head. She dropped the chain and let it fall to the floor with a clattering sound as the guards came closer.

"Run." Link muttered through his teeth. Before she could protest, he went at the guards with the dagger he had stolen, yelling madly as he defended himself. Zelda did as she was told and ran past the fight, going to the table. She grabbed Link's sword and went back to help him. She beheaded one of the unsuspecting guards while Link took care of the other.

She then handed him his sword and helped him equip himself at the table. When he was ready he took Zelda's shoulders.

"We must flee to Termina." He told her sternly. She shook her head in response, sounding determined and on the verge of hysterics.

"No we must stay. I need to help my father. We can't just leave him!"

"Zel, Zel. We will help but they're going to be looking for us. We need to get out of here and come up with a plan." He held her face in his gloved hands.

"Trust me." His voice soothed her for the moment and she calmed down, nodding her head. He let go of her face but took one of her hands into his, squeezing it to reassure her. He then looked to the door that would lead them out.

"Follow me." He led the way through the door and peeked out. The staircase would lead up into the courtyard, and from there they would sneak out the way Link had used so many years ago the first time he had met the princess. He kept hold of her hand as they crept up the stairs and came out into the courtyard.

From there they walked under the archway and down the tunnel, coming to the hedge maze filled with more guards. And these guards were armed with spears. The couple moved through the first part of the maze easily but soon needed to duck as a guard rounded the corner. They crouched behind a hedge and waited while the guard inspected the area. They dared not even breathe until he had finally disappeared.

At the end of the maze they came to the large trellis, twisted with vines and covered in foliage. Two guards circled the structure and made it difficult to pass through. The only way was so climb across the top and drop down on the other side of the foliage. That would be enough to hide them from the guards and they could move to the next part.

Link moved in first, quickly climbing the small steps leading up to the trellis. He turned and saw Zelda waiting as one of the guards passed by the steps. She then followed Link's example and started after him as he climbed the trellis as though they were monkey bars, moving rather quickly before they could be spotted. Her hands were irritated and red by the time they dropped down onto the other side.

From there they came to the fountain. For this they got down on their hands and knees, crawling on one side of the low fountain as the guard on the other side stood, looking around for any intruders. They then came to the inside of the castle wall. The hole there would lead them out to the side of the castle and from there they would only need to cross the field.

Zelda went through the hole first, crawling through and falling into the water below on the other side. Link followed and she offered him a hand to help him out. They wrang out their clothes as best as they could before making their way into the field. The guards were all at their posts with their spears as they always were.

The couple successfully made it across and only came to a problem when they reached the adjoining room to the gate. Once inside, they were about to climb the ladder when the door knob suddenly twisted. Link grabbed Zelda and pulled her against his body, pressing his back against the wall beside the door.

The door opened and a guard poked his head inside, looking up at the ladder. He sighed, shaking his head, and disappeared just as quickly as he had come. They stayed in their positions for a moment more before Link nudged Zelda to the ladder and she climbed up. He followed hot on her heels, not wanting the guard to return and find them there. When they reached the top they quickly dropped down onto the other side. There they rested for a moment.

"I have never been so scared in my life." Zelda said between heaving breaths, Link nodding his head in agreement.

"Feel my heart." She took his hand and pressed it to her heart. He felt it beating hyperactively against his palm and felt his following pursuit.

She rested her head on his shoulder while they calmed themselves down. In her mind all she could see was her father's angry face and his harsh words. _"The two of you will be put to death if it is the last thing that I do." _It repeated in her head and she soon felt the tears rising in her eyes again.

"Hey," Link sensed that she was upset and stroked her face as he wrapped an arm around her, "I won't let anything happen to you or to your father or to your kingdom. We are going to set everything right. I promise."

He kissed the top of her head and leaned back against the dirt wall, looking up at the night sky.


	10. Author's Note IMPORTANT!

**IMPORTANT!**

Hey guys I just wanted to say thanks to all of my reviewers, anonymous or not. You authors out there know how important it is to get feedback so that you can continue writing. Both positive and negative. On that note I have a couple of things that need to be addressed. Yeah I know boring...sorry I should have another chapter up by tomorrow evening if not then this weekend. Promise. :)

First point: Yes I have made Link's character protective as many have pointed out. Mazoku85, her stories are awesome READ THEM, pointed something very important out to me and I'm glad that she did because now I can explain myself to my readers. I don't mean Link to come off as a brat or as this super jealous person (cough cough Inuyasha cough cough). My way of seeing Link is that the poor guy is really frustrated and angry because 1. He can't admit his feelings to Zelda publicly and 2. He has to watch her with other suitors who could eventually end up marrying her. His emotions are bottled up and that's why he reacts the way he does to the suitors, aka why he broke the chair and why he feels angry when they're around. Don't worry - this will go away I promise. Wait for the next chapter.

Second point: The sex. First of all may I just say that compared to the beautiful stories I have read, my story fails to portray the intimacy scenes? Haha yes I am aware of this and all I can say is that I try my best. I know that there is a lot of it and trust me I'm not a horny teen who needed an excuse to write it all down. That would be my ex boyfriend. Anyways, I didn't want to wait until the ending and write this cliche sexual escapade. I wanted to stress the sexual tension between two teens who are in love. Don't worry...there probably won't be another one so breathe a collective sigh of relief my friends.

Third point: As I have told a few reviewers, there will be a big action sequence at the end of the story and am so pumped to write it. So be looking out for that and if you think Link gets to do all the ass kicking then think again because Zelda is the heroine. Hell yes. Haha.

Thanks for reading all of this crap (though I'm sure most skimmed over it and are now pissed at me for wasting their lives.)


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